By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Go and Investigate Him — EFCC Opens Up on Six-Month Probe Into Pastor Jerry Eze
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how a directive to “go and investigate him” led to a six-month financial scrutiny of popular cleric, Jerry Eze, before he was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.
Speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja, Olukoyede said the probe into the founder of Streams of Joy International was triggered after intelligence reports flagged unusual inflows of foreign currency into his domiciliary account.
According to him, the EFCC acted on petitions and internal intelligence that showed repeated deposits from multiple countries, including the United States, Colombia, Sri Lanka, and Togo—an unusual pattern that prompted further scrutiny.
He explained that investigators were instructed to thoroughly examine the accounts, leading to a full review of financial records over several months.
Olukoyede summed up the directive that launched the investigation in a striking phrase: “Go and investigate him.”
After six months of checks and verification, the EFCC invited the cleric for questioning. However, the commission found no evidence of money laundering or financial misconduct.
Olukoyede said Eze explained the sources of the funds and how they were tied to his ministry and humanitarian activities, which were later confirmed during the investigation.
The EFCC boss added that rather than condemn him, the agency chose to acknowledge his transparency after the findings cleared him of suspicion.
The disclosure has since sparked public discussion, as the anti-graft agency used the moment to reiterate its commitment to intelligence-driven investigations and accountability across all sectors, including religious institutions.
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