The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that the agency conducted a six-month investigation into the financial activities of Jerry Eze, the Lead Pastor of Streams of Joy International, over suspected money laundering.
Olukoyede made the revelation on Wednesday during the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony held in Abuja, where he shared details of the probe and its outcome.
According to him, the EFCC became interested in Eze after noticing significant inflows of foreign currency into a domiciliary account linked to the pastor. The funds, he said, were received from multiple countries, including Colombia, the United States, Sri Lanka, and Togo, raising initial concerns within the agency.
“We work with intelligence and petitions. At some point, we observed an account where dollars and pounds were coming in consistently from different parts of the world,” Olukoyede stated.
He explained that the discovery prompted a full-scale investigation, during which EFCC officials scrutinized the financial records and transactions associated with the account. After reviewing preliminary findings, he directed that Eze be invited for questioning.
Recounting their first meeting, Olukoyede said he initially did not recognize the pastor, describing his casual appearance at the time. However, following further engagement, the EFCC chairman noted that the investigation had already provided clarity on the source and use of the funds.
“He explained how the money came in and how it was being used to support people and charitable causes. But by then, we had already done our work,” he said.
Olukoyede emphasized that the purpose of inviting Eze was not for interrogation but to commend him after the agency found no evidence of wrongdoing.
He added that beyond enforcement, the EFCC also has a preventive responsibility, which includes identifying and encouraging individuals who demonstrate transparency and integrity in their financial dealings.
While commending the pastor, Olukoyede advised him to maintain accountability, noting that the agency would continue to monitor financial activities as part of its routine oversight.
“The only thing left is to give you a letter of validation, but I won’t do that because monitoring continues,” he said.
The EFCC chairman concluded by urging Eze to remain diligent and uphold clean financial practices, stressing that the agency remains committed to ensuring accountability across all sectors.
EFCC Chairman Reveals Six-Month Probe of Pastor Jerry Eze, Finds No Evidence of Money Laundering
