Arrest pastors and imams who extort politicians, NIREC tells EFCC

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest pastors and imams who use churches and mosques to extort money from politicians.

The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during the NIREC meeting, where the EFCC unveiled its Interfaith Manual.

Omonokhua urged the EFCC to go beyond the publication of the manual and take enforcement action against clerics who turn worship centers into political campaign grounds.

“The EFCC should go beyond the anti-corruption manual and arrest pastors and imams who publicly preach hatred or run political campaigns in churches and mosques to extort money from partisan politicians,” he said.

He described the practice as religious commerce, warning that some professional preachers have turned the faith into a commercial enterprise.

“This would go a long way towards stopping the religious business of selling God to make money,” he said.

He said the wrong concept of God can produce false, professional and accidental pastors and imams who deceive their followers with hate speech.

According to him, such preachers serve interests that use religion, ethnicity and poverty as weapons for personal gain.

He said religious corruption is a priestly art, comparing it to witchcraft when it destroys human life and undermines human dignity.

“We thank the EFCC for its manual which we hope will stop religious preachers and teachers from religious corruption and religiously motivated corruption through professional and false preaching,” he said.

He said NIREC resolved to condemn any statement that contradicts peace and human dignity and to remain impartial in politics.

“NIREC has also decided not to be partisan by supporting one political party against another,” he said, urging Nigerians to respect freedom of religion and conscience.

He said the EFCC Preaching and Teaching Manual, which was launched, was facilitated as a guide for both Muslims and Christians through the Inter-Religious Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee, IAAC.

“The Inter-Religious Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee, IAAC of the EFCC, has released the second edition of the Anti-Corruption Preaching and Teaching Manual for Christians and Muslims in Nigeria together with guides for facilitators.

“This is to help preachers share the authentic teaching of the religion with the hope of promoting peaceful coexistence and fighting corruption,” he said.

He thanked Olukoyede for leading the discussion on anti-corruption, adding that the manual is important because it provides a guideline for teaching and preaching anti-corruption among religious institutions.

“No nation can prosper despite corruption at all levels. We thank the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, for agreeing to lead us in today’s conversation.

“The anti-corruption manual is imperative because ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of God. Through the Scriptures of different faith traditions, you can know God.

“Any religious person, pastor or imam who is corrupt cannot claim to know God,” he said.