EFCC recounts how Adeboye ordered refund of billions in questionable RCCG donation

By Anthonia Okonkwo

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, reportedly ordered the refund of billions of naira donated to a church project after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) traced the funds to proceeds of crime.

The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed this on Saturday while addressing RCCG workers during a meeting ahead of the church’s annual Holy Ghost Congress.

According to Church Times Nigeria, Adeboye had invited the EFCC chairman to speak to church workers on financial transparency, accountability and proper record-keeping.

Recounting the incident, Olukoyede said investigations revealed that a church member had donated billions of naira towards an RCCG project. However, the commission later discovered that the money allegedly came from criminal activities.

He explained that after the EFCC informed the church of its findings, Adeboye immediately directed that the donation be returned to its source. Olukoyede praised the cleric for ordering the refund within 24 hours of receiving the information.

However, the EFCC chairman did not disclose the donor’s identity, the exact amount involved or the specific project for which the donation was made.

Beyond the incident, Olukoyede warned religious leaders against accepting questionable donations, stressing that churches must not become channels for concealing or legitimising proceeds of crime. He also recounted another case involving a church allegedly linked to a Ponzi scheme, whose leader eventually refunded a substantial amount after the EFCC threatened legal action.

The EFCC chairman further condemned materialism, unhealthy competition and attempts to offer bribes to secure leadership positions within the RCCG, emphasising the need for integrity, transparency and accountability in religious institutions.