Osun heads to court over EFCC’s freeze on state accounts

The Osun State Government has vowed to challenge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in court after the anti-graft agency allegedly froze the state’s bank accounts ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, said on Wednesday that Governor Ademola Adeleke had directed him to institute legal action against the EFCC over the development.

According to Jimi-Bada, the state government received a “Post No Debit” directive reportedly issued by the EFCC to First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled.

He argued that while the commission has the authority to investigate financial transactions, it lacks the legal power to freeze government accounts without first obtaining a court order.

“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it can’t freeze the accounts without an order of court,” he said.

The commissioner warned that the action could disrupt government activities but insisted the state would seek judicial intervention to ensure the agency acted within the law.

Also reacting, the Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police operatives stormed the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some bank staff members.

Ogungbile denied allegations that the Adeleke administration was using state funds to finance its re-election campaign, urging the EFCC to consider the impact of the account freeze on governance and the welfare of residents.

Earlier, Governor Adeleke had alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze all state government accounts as well as those of top government officials.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the alleged move as unlawful and politically motivated.

According to Adeleke, the planned freeze was aimed at crippling government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

He maintained that there was no legal basis for the action, insisting that the EFCC had no authority to freeze the accounts of a state government without due process.