By Nkechi Eze
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged religious leaders across Nigeria to use their influence to promote integrity and help build a society where corruption and financial crimes are rejected.
Olukoyede made the call on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Abuja at the second 2026 Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), where the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual for religious leaders was launched.
He said religious institutions had a significant role in shaping the values and character of Nigerians, stressing that the fight against corruption could not be left to law enforcement agencies alone.
According to him, the theme of the meeting, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria,” highlights the responsibility of every citizen and institution to contribute to the wellbeing of society.
Olukoyede said corruption undermines the common good by diverting resources meant for public benefit into private hands, thereby worsening hardship and limiting development.
“Corruption privatizes what is shared, converts the commonwealth into private advantage, and allows one person to flourish by making many others poorer,” he said.
The EFCC chairman noted that both Christianity and Islam had teachings that promote honesty, justice, human dignity and responsible conduct, urging religious leaders to consistently reflect these values in their sermons and teachings.
He said the EFCC had, over the years, engaged Christian and Muslim leaders through its interfaith framework to strengthen the role of religious institutions in preventing corruption.
“We believe that no religion condones corruption and no faith entertains fraudulent engagements,” Olukoyede said.
He explained that the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual was developed in collaboration with Christian and Muslim leaders to provide guidance on the positions of the two faiths on corruption and financial crimes.
“We are using this opportunity to launch the Manual which we hope our religious leaders will surely find useful in preaching anti-corruption messages to their members,” he said.
Olukoyede stressed that corruption and financial crimes affect Nigerians irrespective of religion or ethnicity, noting that the consequences of misappropriated public resources are borne by communities across the country.
“Financial crime has no religion. Corruption has no tribe,” he said, urging pastors and imams to actively use the manual to educate their followers on the consequences of corrupt practices.
He further said religious institutions could play a preventive role by influencing individual values before people become involved in criminal conduct.
“Religious institutions have extraordinary responsibility in Nigeria’s anti-corruption struggle. The EFCC can investigate a person’s conduct. Faith communities can influence that person’s character,” he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Professor Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua, said the second edition of the Anti-Corruption Preaching and Teaching Manual was produced through the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee (IAAC) of the EFCC.
He said the manual and accompanying facilitators’ guides were designed to help Christian and Muslim leaders communicate authentic religious teachings against corruption while promoting peaceful coexistence.
Omonokhua commended the EFCC chairman for sustaining the anti-corruption campaign, saying religious leaders must ensure that their teachings promote integrity and discourage corrupt practices.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said Nigeria’s religious diversity remained an important national asset and called for greater cooperation among faith and community leaders.
Akume acknowledged the security challenges facing the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal conflicts, and said the Federal Government remained committed to protecting lives, livelihoods and the dignity of Nigerians.
He said security agencies were intensifying operations against criminal elements, while stressing that the responsibility for national security also required the support of religious and community leaders.
Akume urged Christian and Muslim leaders to speak with one voice against terrorism and banditry, saying united religious leadership could help counter narratives that fuel division and conflict.
The event was attended by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Daniel Okoh; the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; Professor Ishaq Oloyede; the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli; and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar El-Kanemi, among other dignitaries.
