NIGERIA · GRAFT
Key Facts
- Who Ola Olukoyede, chairman of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, made the claim on Saturday 7 November 2026.
- What He says Pastor Enoch Adeboye ordered a refund of billions of naira that a member gave a church project.
- Why He says investigators later concluded the money was proceeds of financial crime.
- Amount No figure was given; billions of naira means at least about US$1.5 million.
- Unknown The donor, the project and the refund recipient are not named.
The head of Nigeria’s main anti-graft agency says one of the country’s best-known pastors ordered a refund of donations that he says came from crime.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency, said on Saturday 7 November 2026 that Pastor Enoch Adeboye ordered a refund of billions of naira in donations. Adeboye is the General Overseer, or global head, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), a Nigerian church that also has congregations in the United States.
Olukoyede said a church member had given billions of naira to an RCCG project, and that investigations later concluded the money was proceeds of financial crime. No amount was stated; at about 1,350 naira per US$, two billion naira would be roughly US$1.5 million.
What the EFCC Chairman Said
Olukoyede spoke to RCCG workers at a meeting held ahead of the church’s annual prayer gathering, the Holy Ghost Congress. He is also an ordained pastor, and Adeboye invited him to talk to the workers about financial propriety.
He said Adeboye acted soon after the church was alerted and directed the refund within about 24 hours. He praised the move and said churches must not become channels for hiding or legitimising stolen money.
He warned workers against accepting suspicious donations, and said there is a rising number of cases in which church leaders are allegedly implicated in financial crimes. He said the EFCC would spare no one, whatever their religious position.
What Is Not Known
The donor, the project and the exact sum have not been made public, and nor has the person or body that received the refund. The account comes from Olukoyede; as of 9 November we have found no church statement on this case, only a general report that Adeboye said the RCCG would not shield anyone involved in financial wrongdoing.
It is also not known whether the donor faces charges. Olukoyede did not say.
Why It Matters Beyond Nigeria
The RCCG has a North American base at Redemption Camp in Texas and congregations across the United States, so the case will interest members there. Olukoyede also recalled another church whose leader first resisted EFCC intervention, then refunded a substantial amount after the agency threatened legal action.
He did not name that church, and we cannot confirm the details.
What It Means for You
If you donate to or partner with a Nigerian charity or church, you may be asked where money comes from. As general advice, keep records of large gifts and check the donor’s source of funds.
Related reading: the EFCC’s Kano fraud arraignment, EFCC recoveries from oil firms and Nigeria’s history in plain English.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the EFCC chairman say about Adeboye?
Ola Olukoyede said Pastor Enoch Adeboye ordered a refund of billions of naira that a church member gave to an RCCG project. He said investigations later concluded the money was proceeds of crime.
How much money was refunded?
No exact figure has been given. Olukoyede spoke of billions of naira, which is at least about US$1.5 million at about 1,350 naira per US$.
Who is Pastor Enoch Adeboye?
Adeboye is the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a Nigerian church with congregations in the United States, including a North American base in Texas.
Has the church confirmed the refund?
We have found no church statement on this case. The account comes from the EFCC chairman’s remarks to church workers.
Sources: Remarks by EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to RCCG workers, 7 November 2026; market exchange-rate data (about 1,350 naira per US$, 9 November 2026).
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