President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court and seek the removal of a freeze placed on Osun State Government bank accounts. The President expressed significant concern regarding the timing of the commission’s move, as it occurred only days before the scheduled gubernatorial election in the state.
Following this intervention, President Tinubu reached out to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to inform him of the directive. In response, the state government praised the President’s actions as a victory for the rule of law. However, Governor Adeleke has also initiated a legal challenge against the EFCC, filing a lawsuit worth N2 billion for what he claims was the illegal freezing of the state’s federal statutory allocation account.
The EFCC has maintained that its actions were lawful, citing provisions within the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. The agency alleged that the account was restricted due to suspicious activity and an ongoing investigation into the diversion of N11 billion in public funds. Despite these claims, the Osun State government dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
Political figures have weighed in heavily on the matter. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized the freeze as an attack on democracy and an attempt to weaponize state institutions against political opponents. Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) argued that the President’s intervention undermines the notion that the EFCC functions independently, suggesting the decision to unfreeze the account was based on political pressure rather than legal requirements.
EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren explained that the restriction was temporary and targeted, intended to preserve funds amid suspicious transactions. He reiterated that the commission possesses the legal authority to place such restrictions as part of its mandate to prevent financial crimes.
