The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged pastors and imams across Nigeria to consistently preach sound religious doctrines and promote honesty as part of efforts to curb corruption.

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Olukoyede gave the charge on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Abuja, during the second 2026 council meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), where the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual for religious leaders was launched. Speaking on the theme, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria,” he said religious leaders had a significant role to play in restoring the moral dignity of honest living and discouraging acts that undermine the collective wellbeing of Nigerians.

The EFCC chairman said corruption deprives society of shared resources and allows individuals to benefit at the expense of others. He maintained that corruption and financial crimes have no religious or ethnic identity, stressing that their consequences affect Nigerians across faith communities. According to him, while the EFCC investigates and prosecutes financial crimes, religious institutions can help shape character, promote integrity and challenge the glorification of wealth obtained through questionable means.

Olukoyede said the EFCC had, through its interfaith framework, engaged Christian and Muslim leaders to incorporate anti-corruption teachings into sermons and religious instructions. He expressed hope that the newly launched manual would help clerics communicate the position of their faiths on corruption and fraudulent conduct, while encouraging peaceful co-existence and responsible citizenship.

In his remarks, NIREC Executive Secretary, Professor Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua, said the second edition of the Anti-Corruption Preaching and Teaching Manual was facilitated by the EFCC’s Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee (IAAC). He explained that the manual, alongside facilitators’ guides, was designed to help Christian and Muslim preachers teach against corruption and promote peaceful co-existence. Omonokhua commended Olukoyede for supporting the anti-corruption initiative and described the manual as a useful resource for religious institutions.