Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed the reasons behind the six-month investigation into Pastor Jerry Eze of Streams of Joy International over suspected money laundering.
Speaking at an event in Abuja, in a video shared by Channels TV, Olukoyede explained that the probe was prompted by intelligence reports indicating large inflows of foreign currency into a domiciliary account linked to the pastor. Dollars and pounds were arriving from multiple countries, raising concerns and prompting a full investigation.
According to Olukoyede, after reviewing financial records and questioning the pastor, no wrongdoing was established. He said, "I am going to embarrass you today. I never wanted to say it, but I felt it was my little way of making a contribution. I investigated this man for six months for money laundering. We work by intelligence and petitions. At some point, there was a domiciliary account where dollars and pounds were dropping like raindrops from Colombia, America, Sri Lanka, and even Togo."
Olukoyede added that he later invited Pastor Eze to commend him after understanding how the funds were received and used. He noted that the EFCC will continue to monitor financial activities as part of its mandate.
He recalled, "I said, 'Who is this man?' I had heard his name and seen his face but never bothered about what he was doing. They said it's one Pastor Jerry Eze of Streams of Joy. Go and investigate him. So we went into investigation and combed the books. Yes, we saw the money coming in. My investigating officer came to me with a preliminary report. I said I would like to see this man. Go and invite him."
When Pastor Eze arrived, Olukoyede remarked, "I saw somebody who came in with baggy trousers, a T-shirt, and some punk with a parting. I was almost going to say, 'Go and call your pastor, my friend; go and bring your bishop.' He told me how the money came and how he has been helping people. I told him, 'I didn't call you here to explain. We've already done our work. I called you here to commend you.'"
The EFCC chairman urged the pastor to continue keeping his hands clean, warning that the anti-graft agency "will always come for you." He added, "The only thing remaining is to give you a letter of validation, but I'm not going to give you because I'll still continue to monitor your finances."
