Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that he once ordered a six-month investigation into popular cleric Jerry Eze over suspected money laundering, but the probe later cleared him.
Olukoyede made the revelation while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony, explaining that the commission acted on intelligence reports and petitions after observing large inflows into a domiciliary account linked to the pastor.
“I investigated this man for six months. Yeah. For money laundering. We work by intelligence, we work by petitions,” he said.
According to him, the transactions initially raised concerns due to their international sources.
“At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops… from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo,” he stated.
Curious about the identity behind the account, Olukoyede said he ordered a full investigation.
“I said, ‘Who is this man?’ they said, ‘This one, Pastor Jerry Eze of Streams of Joy, go and investigate him,’” he recounted.
He explained that after completing the investigation, the cleric was invited for questioning, adding that he initially did not recognise him.
“I was almost about to say, ‘Go and call your pastor… go and bring your bishop!’” he said.
However, after reviewing the findings and hearing from Eze, the EFCC boss said his perspective changed.
“I said, ‘You know what? I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,’” he added.
Elijah Adeyemi
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