EFCC Explains Osun Account Freeze as Adeleke, Parties and Lawyers Condemn Action

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has defended its decision to freeze an Osun State Government bank account, saying the action was necessary to prevent the alleged movement of suspicious public funds, even as Governor Ademola Adeleke, political parties and legal experts condemned the move.

The anti-graft agency had, in a letter dated August 5, 2026, instructed a first-generation bank to place a Post-No-Debit restriction on one of the state’s accounts under the provisions of the EFCC Act 2004 and the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act.

Governor Adeleke rejected the action, describing it as unlawful and politically damaging.

“All I ask is for the EFCC chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and to Nigerians why he froze Osun State Government account, and show proof to support whatever reason he presents,” he said.

The governor added that he had directed the state’s Attorney-General to institute legal proceedings against the commission.

The Osun Attorney-General, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), argued that the EFCC lacks the legal authority to interfere with a state’s statutory account, stressing that any dispute over such funds should be resolved by a competent court.

Responding to the criticism, the EFCC disclosed that it had been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged mismanagement of about N11 billion in public funds.

According to EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale, investigators detected significant transfers of money from government accounts to several corporate entities while the probe was ongoing.

“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” the agency stated.

The EFCC insisted that freezing the account was a preventive measure aimed at safeguarding public funds and denied suggestions that the decision was influenced by the forthcoming governorship election.

The development nevertheless drew criticism from the Accord Party, which alleged the action was designed to favour the APC in the August 15 poll, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described it as political persecution and warned against using federal institutions for partisan purposes.

Several lawyers also faulted the action, arguing that the EFCC should obtain a court order before freezing a state government’s account. They cautioned that such decisions could disrupt governance, delay salary payments and undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

Meanwhile, the APC called on the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate allegations of vote buying involving the Osun State Government.

The state government dismissed the allegation, saying the N20,000 payments made to workers were palliatives introduced to cushion economic hardship and were not linked to the forthcoming election.

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