Frank Tietie, a lawyer and analyst, maintains that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) possesses the legal standing to block suspicious bank accounts without seeking external approval. Speaking on Arise Television this past Friday, Tietie addressed the recent freezing of Osun State’s government account just before its gubernatorial election.
President Bola Tinubu previously directed the anti-graft body to drop the court order involving the Osun account. However, Tietie argues that such political intervention hinders law enforcement and risks obstructing justice. He cites Section 34 of the EFCC Act and Section 7 of the Money Laundering Act as support for the commission’s independence.
According to Tietie, the agency is permitted to freeze accounts for up to three days without authorization, provided they act within their mandate. He emphasized that preventing the EFCC from acting during election periods could facilitate criminal activity, such as terrorist financing, and would constitute negligence.
