The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that the agency once conducted a six-month investigation into Pastor Jerry Eze, founder of Streams of Joy International, over suspicions of money laundering. He made this revelation on Wednesday, April 29, at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award event held in Abuja.
Reason Behind the Probe
According to Olukoyede, the investigation began after the commission received intelligence reports and petitions that drew attention to unusual inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric's domiciliary account. He explained that what first caught the attention of investigators was the pattern of deposits coming in from different countries. "We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. 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 said.
The volume and spread of the inflows raised suspicion, prompting the EFCC to open a formal investigation into the matter. Following preliminary checks, the commission invited Pastor Eze for questioning. Olukoyede noted that investigators had already reviewed financial records before the meeting.
Pastor Eze's Explanation
After the pastor appeared before the agency, he explained how the funds came in and what he uses them for, including his charitable activities. Olukoyede added that after hearing his explanation and reviewing the findings, the EFCC found no evidence of wrongdoing. As he put it: "So he came to my office. He told me what happened and all of that, and how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people, and all of that. 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." Instead of any indictment, the commission cleared the cleric and acknowledged his activities.
Public Reactions
The revelation sparked mixed reactions on social media. User @papi_demillie expressed concern that such information should not be publicly discussed on religious grounds, questioning the source of the funds. @Olatu125 criticized the EFCC for failing to convict former governor Yahaya Bello, suggesting the agency's credibility is questionable. @ObaSapy speculated that the investigation was used to validate the pastor publicly. @mazichamp noted that large money inflows do not automatically mean corruption, while @n6oflife6 expressed disbelief in the EFCC's clearance, implying the pastor might still be involved in criminal activities.
Background Context
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Bishop Peter Attayi Yakubu attempted to pray like Pastor Jerry Eze but fainted during the exercise. The cleric explained that he tried imitating the prayer style out of admiration for Pastor Jerry's spiritual intensity but collapsed and was later assisted by a nurse.
