Jerry Eze, Senior Pastor of Streams of Joy International, responded to remarks from EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede about an investigation into alleged money laundering involving him.
Eze spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at a business grant event hosted by his foundation, where he shared his experience of being under investigation.
He said the experience was difficult and emotional, and that he struggled to understand why he was being investigated when he believed he had done nothing wrong.
He explained that the situation had a strong impact on him, especially in his daily life.
He said there were times he felt overwhelmed as he left for early-morning programs, as he tried to make sense of the situation and sought help from God.
The pastor also remembered talking with close friends during that time, as he tried to understand what was happening and find comfort.
Despite the stress, Eze said he felt relieved by the outcome of the investigation. He explained that after a thorough review of his records, the agency found no evidence of wrongdoing, which made him grateful.
“I remember that the EFCC chairman was talking about the investigation. He’s saying it, and he’s happy. But he didn’t know the kind of… I remember talking to Pastor Poju at the time. I remember talking to Pastor Sarah. I’m like, what did I do? I’ve not done anything. I don’t know why these people are after me,” Eze said.
He continued, “I wake up, I’m driving to NSPPD in the morning… You did me wrong. I must say it. I’m driving in the morning, and I’m crying, and I’m saying, ‘Jesus, Lord, you know.’ I prayed for you. I put your name on the altar because it looked like… I didn’t know what it was.”
“But then again, the interesting thing is that when he came, he said, ‘We looked through your books, and we didn’t find anything wrong you did,’ and I am beyond grateful to God,” he added.
Pastor Eze’s statement follows Olukoyede’s revelation that he had ordered a six-month probe into the cleric, following intelligence reports of large inflows of foreign currency into an account linked to him.
The EFCC boss explained that the commission acted on information it received, which pointed to funds from different countries being deposited into the account. He said investigators conducted a thorough review of the transactions and traced the money’s sources.
After the process, Eze was invited to be questioned, during which he explained the funds and linked them to his ministry work and charity activities.
Olukoyede said that after the investigation, no offence was established against the pastor. Instead of taking further action, he noted that the commission acknowledged the findings and advised the cleric to continue operating with openness, while maintaining its duty to monitor financial activities as part of its work.
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