By Sandra Kenneth
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has defended its decision to restrict an Osun State Government bank account, maintaining that the action is fully backed by law and did not require a prior court order.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television, the EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, rejected claims of illegality raised by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Uwujaren clarified that the commission initiated a temporary, targeted restriction after detecting suspicious transaction patterns on a single state account over the preceding week.
“As we indicated in the statement released by the Commission, we took that step to preserve the account of the Osun State Government,” Uwujaren stated. “We observed in the past one week that activities on that account looked suspicious—specifically heavy transfers of funds to a number of corporate entities within a week. Based on the mandate of the Commission, we took the step of placing a restriction on that account to preserve it.”
Targeted Action, Not a Blanket Freeze
Addressing concerns that the move could paralyze state governance or disrupt public services, the EFCC spokesperson emphasized that the restriction affects only one specific account and does not constitute a wholesale freeze of Osun State’s finances.
“It does not stop the Osun State Government from running the government of the state because they have access to other funds in the other accounts that they have,” Uwujaren explained. “In any case, the payment of salaries and other expenditures by the state government happens just once a month. What we have done is not a blanket freezing… Once we are satisfied that activities on that account are no longer suspicious, it will be lifted.”
Uwujaren added that the commission could not afford to remain passive while large sums were being transferred, noting that public expectation demands proactive measures to prevent the potential looting of public assets, regardless of ongoing political or election activities.
Legal Justification and 72-Hour Window
Rooting the agency’s actions in statutory powers, Uwujaren cited Section 34 of the EFCC Act and Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2022 as the legal foundation granting the commission authority to place temporary administrative restrictions on accounts.
According to the director, such emergency restrictions can subsist for up to 72 hours before the anti-graft agency is required to obtain a formal court order to maintain the freeze.
The development comes amid a broader probe by the commission, which revealed it has been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged fraudulent handling of approximately ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations. Several top state officials, including the Accountant General, have already undergone questioning.
State Government Vows Legal Challenge
The EFCC’s defense follows strong pushback from Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who labeled the freeze illegal and demanded an explanation from EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede.
Osun State Attorney General, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), argued that while the EFCC holds the statutory power to investigate state accounts, it lacks the legal authority to freeze or restrict them without first securing an order from a competent court of law.
The state government confirmed it has directed its legal team to file a formal challenge against the EFCC’s action at the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
