EFCC Freezes Osun Government Account Days Before Governorship Election, State Heads to Court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has directed First Bank Plc to place a Post-No-Debit restriction on the Osun State Government's statutory allocation account as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged handling of about ₦11 billion in public funds.

The commission said the action followed the detection of what it described as suspicious movements of funds from the account beginning on August 2, citing provisions of the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act as the legal basis for its directive. The account restriction comes about 10 days before the state's August 15 governorship election.

Governor Ademola Adeleke condemned the move, describing it as unlawful and insisting the EFCC lacked the authority to freeze a state government account without obtaining a court order. The state government argued that the restriction could disrupt governance and public services, while Attorney-General Oluwole Jimi-Bada confirmed that legal action would be filed at the Federal High Court to challenge the decision.

The EFCC, however, denied any political motive, maintaining that the investigation began months before the election and that the restriction was necessary to protect public funds. Civil society and pro-democracy groups have criticised the timing of the account freeze, warning that it could affect salaries, pensions and essential government services ahead of the election.

The groups also questioned the commission's consistency in handling similar investigations involving other states and urged it to explain the urgency behind its action. The EFCC has reiterated that its operations are non-partisan and solely aimed at enforcing financial accountability and preventing the misuse of public funds.