Osun to sue EFCC over frozen accounts
The Osun State Government will challenge the EFCC in court over the freezing of its bank accounts ahead of the August 15 governorship election, calling the action unlawful and politically motivated.
Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, says the state government will challenge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in court over the freezing of its bank accounts. Speaking on Wednesday, Jimi-Bada said the EFCC had issued a “Post No Debit” directive to First Bank, where the state’s accounts are held. He argued that while the anti-graft agency has the power to investigate government accounts, it cannot freeze them without a court order.
The commissioner warned that the action could disrupt government operations but insisted Governor Ademola Adeleke was not using state funds for his re-election campaign. Commissioner for Finance Sola Ogungbile also alleged that police officers arrested First Bank staff in Osogbo. Earlier, Governor Adeleke accused the EFCC of planning to freeze state accounts ahead of the August 15 governorship election, describing the move as unlawful and politically motivated.
The dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC is a significant development ahead of the election. The freezing of state accounts could disrupt government operations and affect the delivery of services. The government’s decision to challenge the EFCC in court suggests that it is confident in its legal position.
This echoes the 2019 dispute between the EFCC and state governments over the freezing of accounts, which also involved legal challenges. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a tension between the anti-graft agency and state governments.
The winners: the EFCC, if the court upholds its action; and the Osun State Government, if it successfully challenges the freezing. The losers: the people of Osun, who may suffer disruptions to government services; and the Nigerian public, who are watching the dispute closely.
Bottom Line: Osun is taking the EFCC to court over frozen accounts. The election looms. The question is whether the court will rule before the poll.