Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has disclosed that the agency carried out a six-month investigation into Pastor Jerry Eze, founder and lead pastor of Streams of Joy International, over allegations of money laundering.
Olukoyede made the revelation on Wednesday in Abuja during the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony, where he explained that the probe was triggered by intelligence reports and petitions received by the commission.
According to him, the EFCC became interested after noticing significant inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric’s domiciliary account.
“I never wanted to say it, but I just felt that’s my little way of making this contribution. I investigated this man, (Jerry Eze), for six months, yes, for money laundering. We work by intelligence; we work by petitions. At some point, I saw that there was an account, a domiciliary account, where dollars and pounds were dropping in like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo. I asked, ‘Who is this man?’ Yes, I had been hearing his name.
“I had seen his face a couple of times. I mean, I was never bothered about what he was doing; I knew he was a pastor. So they said, ‘It is one, Pastor Jerry of Streams of Joy, go and investigate him.’ So we went into the investigation and combed through the books. Yes, we saw the money coming in. Then my Investigating Officer, IO, came to me one day and said, ‘Sir, this is the criminal report.’ I said, ‘I’d like to see this man, go and invite him.’”
The EFCC boss further explained that Pastor Eze honoured the invitation and attempted to explain the source of the funds, but he told him the investigation had already been concluded.
“So, he came to my office. I saw him, I had seen that face before, I knew it, but I didn’t realise it was him at first because he came in wearing baggy trousers, you know, a small T-shirt and some punk styling with patting. I was almost going to say, ‘Go and call your pastor, my friend. You are not the one, go and bring your bishop.’ So, I took a second look.
“I looked at his face again and said, ‘Okay, you are Pastor Jerry.’ He said, ‘Yes, sir.’ I said, ‘Go and sit beside me.’ So, he told me what happened and all of that, how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people and so on. I said, ‘You know what? I didn’t call you here to explain to me. I called you to commend you.’”
Olukoyede added that beyond prosecuting financial crimes, the EFCC also has a preventive role and seeks to highlight individuals of integrity.
“I also have a preventive, you know, mandate. The EFCC should be identified with people who have integrity. We must drum them up, we must drum them up, and you are one of them.
“The only thing that remains now is to give you a letter of validation, but I’m not going to do that, because I will continue to monitor your finances.”
