EFCC Reveals It Secretly Investigated Pastor Jerry Eze for Six Months Over Money Laundering

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confirmed it spent six months quietly investigating Pastor Jerry Eze, founder of Streams of Joy International, over suspicious foreign currency inflows — and ultimately cleared him without charges.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede made the disclosure himself, at a public event where the pastor was seated in the audience — the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday. The revelation stunned many in attendance and quickly set social media alight.

What Triggered the Investigation

Olukoyede said the probe began after intelligence reports and petitions flagged unusually large foreign currency deposits flowing into Eze’s domiciliary account from multiple countries.

“At some point, I saw there was an account — a domiciliary account — dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo,” Olukoyede said.

He admitted that before the investigation, he knew little about the pastor beyond having seen his face a few times. “I said, ‘Who is this man?'” he told the gathering. The volume and international spread of the deposits were enough to trigger a full-scale forensic review of the cleric’s financial records and church accounts.

Six Months of Scrutiny — Then a Commendation

Investigators combed through Eze’s books for six months. After completing its internal review, the EFCC invited the pastor to its headquarters — not to question him, but to commend him.

“By the time he came to my office, we had already done our work,” Olukoyede said. “He explained what he does, how the money comes, how he has been helping people. But I told him, ‘I didn’t call you here to explain. I called you to commend you.'”

The EFCC found that the foreign inflows were legitimate donations and support from Eze’s global congregation — not proceeds of crime. No charges were filed.

Nigerians Divided

The public disclosure sparked sharp debate. Many Nigerians questioned why the EFCC chairman felt the need to announce a completed investigation that found nothing — particularly at the pastor’s own event. Critics argued the disclosure itself, regardless of outcome, could damage reputations unfairly. Supporters of Pastor Eze called it a vindication and praised the EFCC for following the evidence rather than headlines.

Eze is among Nigeria’s most prominent televangelists, with a global following that spans several continents. His international reach, it turns out, is precisely what drew the EFCC’s attention in the first place.

Sources: Sahara Reporters, BusinessDay NG, Legit.ng, Pulse Nigeria