The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has publicly accused some pilgrim board leaders who are mostly Pastors and Imams of systemic corruption, stating that a massive percentage of state-released funds meant for Christian and Muslim pilgrimages are systematically stolen.
Olukoyede revealed that previous anti-graft investigations showed state-released resources intended to ease Hajj and Jerusalem pilgrimages for citizens are instead pocketed by the very officials appointed to manage them.
He labeled these agency and pilgrim board leaders as major “enablers of corruption” who exploit religious exercises for personal enrichment.
The EFCC boss urged pastors, imams, and other faith leaders to aggressively use their pulpits to preach against public stealing and financial crimes.
Reacting to his allegation, The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, strongly backed the EFCC’s stance at the same event. The Sultan warned political figures against sponsoring religious trips using laundered or diverted public funds, declaring that “God is not corrupt” and will not accept spiritual acts funded by stolen money.
