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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory, Rev. Joseph Hayab, has challenged Christian and Muslim leaders to restore integrity to their faiths amid concerns over the alleged involvement of some clerics in corruption cases investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had disclosed that pastors, imams and other religious figures feature among individuals investigated, prosecuted and convicted for financial crimes in Nigeria.
Olukoyede made the disclosure penultimate Wednesday at the 2026 Second Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council in Abuja, where he urged religious leaders to take a more active role in the fight against corruption and called for greater scrutiny of religious titles.
Speaking with journalists on Saturday at his Kaduna home, Hayab said the revelation should serve as a wake-up call to churches, mosques and other religious organisations.
He said he agreed with the EFCC chairman but was disappointed that people expected to serve as moral examples were being associated with alleged wrongdoing.
“Truly, the EFCC Chairman made that statement when I was also handling a case, so I know. And I quite agree with what he said,” Hayab said.
“But my agreement is being disappointed that people of my constituency, who are supposed to be leading lights, who are supposed to be leading examples, are being used as examples of bad character.”
Hayab recounted the case of a Kaduna-based man who allegedly claimed to be an evangelist and falsely presented himself as a convert from Islam while soliciting financial support from churches and individuals.
According to him, the suspect allegedly travelled to different states, invoked the names of prominent personalities and was invited by churches to preach, while receiving substantial financial contributions from people who believed his claims.
“A Kaduna man who claimed to be an evangelist has been going round states and many places, lying that he was a convert from Islam,” he said.
Hayab said the alleged fraud was uncovered after a victim reported the matter to the EFCC, which examined the suspect’s financial records and allegedly discovered substantial transfers from individuals.
He alleged that one person contributed more than N100 million, believing the money was being used to support Christian evangelism.
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The cleric warned that religious identities must not become shields for fraudulent activities, stressing that both Christian and Muslim leaders had a responsibility to protect the integrity of their faiths.
“People are hiding under Christianity to cheat people, people are hiding under Islam to cheat people,” he said.
Hayab also expressed concern over alleged diversion of funds associated with Christian and Muslim pilgrimages, saying the use of questionable funds for religious purposes undermined the spiritual essence of pilgrimage.
He said he agreed with the position attributed to the Sultan of Sokoto that corrupt money should not be used to fund pilgrimage.
“Pilgrimage is supposed to be a place, a time you go for spiritual retreat. But if you are already using corrupt money for it, it has dented the retreat,” he said.
The cleric further urged religious leaders holding public appointments to demonstrate integrity and resist the temptation to use public resources to finance extravagant lifestyles.
He cited former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, as an example of the kind of public service he said religious communities should celebrate.
Hayab said religious leaders must also examine whether they possess the moral authority to condemn corruption when members of their institutions are involved in it.
“That also challenges us whether we have the moral stand to correct abuse. We can’t tell them not to be corrupt when we are corrupt,” he said.
He urged religious organisations to take greater responsibility for those they train, ordain and commission as pastors and imams.
“The onus is now on us religious organisations to ask questions: who are we training, who are we ordaining, who are we commissioning as imams and pastors?”
Hayab also cautioned religious leaders against making politically uninformed statements, particularly on constitutional issues, saying they should understand the law before commenting on matters of governance and elections.
He urged pastors, imams and religious organisations to protect the reputation of their faiths by ensuring that those entrusted with religious leadership uphold integrity.
