Adeboye Ordered Refund of Billions in Dirty Donations – EFCC

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 money was discovered to have come from criminal activities.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, disclosed this on Saturday, November 7, 2026, while speaking to RCCG workers during a meeting organised ahead of the church’s annual Holy Ghost Congress.

Olukoyede explained that the money was donated by a church member to support an RCCG project. However, investigations later showed that the funds were proceeds of financial crime.

According to the EFCC chairman, Adeboye directed the church to return the entire donation within 24 hours after being informed about the source of the money.

Olukoyede praised the cleric for taking immediate action instead of allowing the church to retain funds linked to illegal activities. He, however, did not reveal the identity of the donor, the particular church project involved or the exact amount returned.

The EFCC boss also expressed concern about the growing cases of financial misconduct involving religious leaders and church officials. He warned that some religious organisations had become exposed to questionable financial practices through suspicious donations and irregularities surrounding contracts awarded for church projects.

He urged pastors and other church workers to properly investigate the sources of money offered to their organisations before accepting such contributions.

Olukoyede, who is also an ordained pastor, warned that the commission would continue to investigate and prosecute anyone involved in financial crimes, regardless of their religious position or the organisation they belong to.

He also recalled another case involving a church that was allegedly connected to a Ponzi scheme. According to him, the church leader initially resisted the EFCC’s intervention but later agreed to return a substantial amount of money after the commission threatened legal action.

The anti-graft agency chairman further cautioned church members against allowing the desire for wealth, unhealthy competition and struggles for leadership positions to influence their conduct.

He also raised concerns about allegations that some individuals were attempting to secure leadership positions within the RCCG by offering bribes.

Olukoyede advised religious leaders to ensure that donations received for church activities and development projects came from legitimate sources. He said churches must maintain proper financial records and avoid any dealings that could expose them to criminal investigations.

In his response, Adeboye assured that the RCCG would not shield anyone found guilty of financial misconduct.

The cleric also encouraged pastors across the church to maintain transparent financial records and ensure that their activities were free from corruption.

The meeting was organised to educate RCCG workers on financial responsibility, accountability and the importance of maintaining proper records in religious organisations ahead of the annual Holy Ghost Congress.