Diverting tithes, offerings, others to private businesses is a criminal offence – EFCC warns

Diverting tithes, offerings, others to private businesses is a criminal offence – EFCC warns

The financial and economic Crimes commission (EFCC) has warned spiritual leaders against diverting tithes, services, zakat, and different religious price range into personal corporations.

The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, gave the caution in Abuja on Wednesday, September 23 at the 2026 second Council assembly of the Nigeria Inter-non secular Council (NIREC).

Olukoyede said such diversion used to be crook and recommended church buildings and mosques to create regulatory compliance mechanisms to guard finances entrusted to them.

He emphasised that non secular leaders need to lead by way of example inside the combat towards corruption due to the fact their followers emulated their conduct.

“whilst the followers recognize that there’s no distinction between the money that is meant to propagate the trust which you stand for and your own personal sources, you omit everything collectively.

“You are not purported to mingle in. That’s not anything that announces you could’t do some other vocation. You sell automobiles, you’re a farmer and all of that.

“Don’t mix the cash from the purse of your employer with that of your personal personal money. Don’t do that. whilst cash is paid to your company, don’t divert it on your enterprise.

“That’s crook and a number of our adherents and followers see a number of these items we do.”

The EFCC chairman referred to that spiritual establishments had an high-quality obligation due to the fact even as the EFCC should investigate, behavior, and prosecute fraud, belief communities should influence person and cultivate honesty to save you crime.

He also criticised worship centres that celebrated unexplained wealth.