The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a stern warning to religious leaders nationwide against diverting sacred funds, including tithes, offerings, and zakat, into their personal businesses.

Speaking with THENEWSCREDIT on Wednesday at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, EFCC Chairman Mr. Ola Olukoyede declared the practice a outright criminal offence. He urged churches and mosques to urgently establish regulatory compliance mechanisms to safeguard the public funds entrusted to them.

Olukoyede clarified that while religious leaders are free to pursue other vocations—such as farming or car sales—they must maintain a strict boundary between institutional and personal finances.

“Don’t mix the money from the purse of your organisation with that of your own personal money," Olukoyede warned. "When money is paid to your organisation, don’t divert it to your business. That’s criminal.”

He emphasized that when followers observe leaders treating faith-based resources as personal wealth, the moral authority of the institution is entirely compromised.

The EFCC boss also took a hard line against religious institutions that celebrate unexplained wealth. He openly criticized leaders who accept and dedicate lavish structures built by corrupt public servants.

"A public servant says he has built a mosque that is worth more than his earnings in the next 500 years, and you go there to dedicate it," Olukoyede remarked. "You are dedicating the proceeds of crime."

While the EFCC remains committed to investigating and prosecuting financial fraud, Olukoyede reminded the council that faith communities bear the unique responsibility of shaping character and cultivating the honesty required to prevent crime in the first place.