The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the commission carried out a six-month investigation into the founder of Streams of Joy International, Jerry Eze, over allegations of money laundering before eventually clearing him of any wrongdoing.

Olukoyede made this known on Wednesday while addressing attendees at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony held in Abuja.

He explained that the probe was initiated following intelligence reports and petitions that flagged unusual inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric’s domiciliary account.

“We work with intelligence and petitions. At a point, we noticed a domiciliary account receiving dollars and pounds from different parts of the world—Colombia, America, Sri Lanka, even Togo,” Olukoyede said.

He noted that the pattern of transactions raised suspicion within the commission, leading to a comprehensive investigation into both the origin and legitimacy of the funds.

“I asked, ‘Who is this person?’ I had heard his name before and knew he was a pastor. So we directed our team to investigate. We thoroughly examined the records,” he added.

According to the EFCC chairman, after compiling preliminary findings, the cleric was invited for questioning to provide further clarification on the transactions.

He stated, however, that the outcome of the investigation did not reveal any evidence of financial misconduct.

“When he came in, he explained his activities and how the funds were received, including his humanitarian efforts. But I told him we had already completed our work. I only invited him to commend him,” Olukoyede stated.

Olukoyede emphasised that the commission’s responsibility goes beyond probing suspected financial crimes, noting that it also includes recognising individuals who demonstrate accountability and transparency in their dealings.

Despite exonerating the cleric, he maintained that the agency would continue to monitor financial activities when necessary as part of its preventive mandate.

The EFCC boss also raised concerns about the involvement of some religious leaders in fraudulent practices, disclosing that several have been investigated and prosecuted by the commission.

“Religious institutions must uphold integrity. Places of worship should not become safe havens for illicit activities,” he warned.