EFCC Freezes Osun Government Accounts

According to reports, the EFCC placed a “no debit” restriction on Osun State Government accounts domiciled with First Bank.

Reacting to the development, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, said Governor Ademola Adeleke had directed him to challenge the action at the Federal High Court.

Jimi-Bada argued that while the EFCC has the authority to investigate government accounts, it cannot freeze them without first obtaining a court order. He also dismissed allegations that Governor Adeleke was using state funds to finance his re-election campaign.

Osun State Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, also alleged that police officers stormed First Bank’s main branch in Osogbo and arrested some bank staff during the operation. He urged the EFCC to consider the impact of the account restriction on government activities and the welfare of residents.

Lawyers Give Different Legal Views

Legal experts have expressed differing opinions on the EFCC’s action.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Damilola Olawuyi, said the EFCC has legal powers to take preventive steps against financial crimes. He explained that temporarily freezing accounts is an internationally recognised method of preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. However, he warned that such powers must not be used for political purposes or as a substitute for proper investigations.

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wolemi Esan, stated that under the Money Laundering Act, the EFCC can temporarily restrict a suspicious account for up to 72 hours without a court order. According to him, any restriction beyond that period must receive court approval.

Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), however, questioned the legality of freezing a state’s account, saying he was unaware of any law that gives either the Federal Government or the EFCC such authority. He warned that the action could amount to harassment if it lacks a legal basis.

Civil society organisations also expressed mixed views.

Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, advised the Osun State Government to seek legal redress if it believes the account freeze is unlawful.

Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, said the EFCC would be justified if it acted on credible evidence of misuse of public funds. However, he stressed that such actions must be based on facts and not political considerations.

Ezenwa Nwagwu of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa said he found it difficult to believe that the EFCC would freeze a state’s accounts purely for political reasons. He urged the media to present verified facts rather than relying on political narratives.

Several opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Young Progressives Party (YPP), criticised the reported account freeze.

The ADC described the move as “political terrorism” and accused the Federal Government of using state institutions to weaken the Osun State Government ahead of the election. The party warned that restricting government funds could affect salary payments, healthcare, education, and other essential public services.

The YPP said the timing of the action raised concerns about the possible political use of state institutions and warned that ordinary citizens would suffer if public funds remained inaccessible.

The NDC described the development as a “brazen display of executive rascality” and called on EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to reverse the decision or resign.

The SDP also warned that the incident posed a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, insisting that elections should not be treated as political warfare.

The Labour Party acknowledged the EFCC’s legal powers but insisted that every action must comply with the Constitution and due process. It encouraged the Osun State Government to seek redress in court.

APC Defends EFCC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) defended the EFCC’s action, saying the anti-corruption agency must have acted based on information not yet available to the public.

APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, argued that the affected accounts belong to the Osun State Government and not Governor Ademola Adeleke personally, noting that the governor enjoys constitutional immunity from prosecution while in office.

With the Osun governorship election only days away, the controversy has intensified discussions over the powers and independence of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.

The Osun State Government has indicated that it will challenge the account freeze in court. The outcome of the legal proceedings is expected to determine whether the EFCC acted within the law and could shape future debates on the limits of anti-corruption enforcement in Nigeria.