The Osun State Government has begun legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the anti-graft agency froze the state’s bank accounts.
The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, said on Wednesday that Governor Ademola Adeleke had directed him to challenge the action in court.
According to Jimi-Bada, the EFCC issued a **Post No Debit** directive to First Bank, where the state government operates its accounts, preventing any withdrawals.
He argued that while the EFCC has the power to investigate financial transactions, it cannot freeze a state government’s accounts without first obtaining a court order.
“I have the governor’s mandate to approach the Federal High Court and challenge this action.
The EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it cannot freeze them without a court order.
This move will disrupt government activities, but we will ensure the agency acts within the law,” he said.
The Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, also condemned the development. He alleged that police officers stormed First Bank’s main branch in Osogbo and arrested some bank staff during the operation.
Ogungbile maintained that Governor Adeleke was not using public funds to finance his re-election campaign and warned that freezing the accounts would negatively affect government operations and the welfare of residents.
Earlier on Wednesday, Adeleke had alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze all Osun State Government accounts, as well as those of top government officials, ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the alleged move as an abuse of power.
He said any attempt to freeze the state’s accounts lacked legal backing and was aimed at disrupting government activities in the run-up to the election.
The EFCC had not responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
