Breaking News
Osun Dismisses EFCC’s ₦11b Alleged Looting, Says Action Illegal
The Osun State Government has dismissed allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that it froze the state’s bank accounts over the alleged looting of N11 billion.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Osogbo, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, described the claim as an attempt to justify an unlawful action.
The government said the anti-graft agency’s explanation was unfounded and intended to cover what the government described as an illegal freezing of the state’s accounts.
According to Alimi, “the accounts were frozen to prevent the payment of palliatives approved for civil servants. The action was carried out on the orders of former Governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
“The real reason the commission froze the state account on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers some months ago. This account freezing marks the climax of Oyetola’s historic anti-workers’ obsession.”
The commissioner stated that despite the freezing of the accounts, the government had successfully paid the palliatives to workers, noting that the payments followed negotiations with labour unions aimed at cushioning the effects of the prevailing economic hardship.
He rejected the EFCC’s allegation that public funds had been diverted, insisting that government resources were being utilised for infrastructure projects, workers’ welfare and other developmental programmes across the state.
“There is no fund to loot in Osun State as the little resources we have are expended on the many mega projects, workers’ welfare and sectoral developments for the benefit of the masses,” he said.
Alimi also accused the EFCC of conducting what he described as a politically motivated investigation since March 2026, alleging that senior government officials had been subjected to repeated invitations and harassment without any evidence of wrongdoing.
“It is sad that a commission will lie to destroy the image of a state to cover up an illegal action that has backfired. This alibi from the commission is an afterthought and it cannot stand the test of truth in reality and court of public opinion,” Alimi added.
The EFCC had on Wednesday announced that it froze the Osun State Government’s accounts as a preventive measure while investigating alleged financial transactions involving about N11 billion.
EFCC maintained that the action was taken to preserve funds pending the conclusion of its investigation.
The commission denied acting on political instructions and said its intervention was in line with its statutory mandate.
Following the action by the anti-graft agency, the Osun State Government commenced legal proceedings against the EFCC, challenging the freezing of its accounts and seeking judicial relief over what it described as an unlawful interference with the state’s finances.
The state government argued that if the commission possessed credible evidence of financial misconduct, it should follow established legal procedures by prosecuting those involved rather than freezing government accounts.
It maintained that the EFCC’s allegations were unsupported and intended to tarnish the image of the administration.
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Breaking News
EFCC: Why We Didn’t Freeze Ekiti Govt Accounts
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it had no reason to freeze Ekiti state government’s account during its governorship election because it does not have any incriminating information against the state.
The Director of Public Affairs for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, made this known on Thursday while responding to questions in an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
Recall that the EFCC on Wednesday froze the Osun State government account a few days to the governorship election.
According to Uwajaren, Osun is not the first state to face EFCC’s action, recalling that they did the same to Edo State.
He added that the EFCC restricted the account of the Edo State government when funds were being moved to suspicious accounts, stating that they were able to preserve N12 billion.
“We didn’t have any reason to intervene in Ekiti the way we are intervening now in Osun. You don’t have access to information as we have.
“We are not targeting anybody but simply doing our job,” he said.
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Politics
ADC Chieftain Faults EFCC For Freezing Osun Govt Bank Accounts
A Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has faulted the freezing of bank accounts of the Osun State Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, ahead the of the governorship election in the state.
Eze described the development as a dangerous move that is capable of undermining the nations nascent democracy.
In a statement on Thursday, the ADC chieftain said anti-corruption institutions derive their legitimacy from fairness, impartiality and fidelity to the rule of law, noting that once their actions become selective and politically convenient, public confidence is inevitably eroded.
“It is impossible to ignore the glaring double standards that have come to define the operations of the EFCC. Nigerians watched for years as allegations of reckless expenditure, questionable contract awards, and extravagant deployment of Rivers State resources under the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike dominated public discourse.
“Billions of naira belonging to the people of Rivers State were allegedly dispensed through donations to other states, politically motivated projects, and contracts reportedly awarded at outrageously inflated costs. Yet, the EFCC neither demonstrated the same urgency nor exhibited the zeal it now deploys against perceived political opponents,” he said.
Eze maintained that if the EFCC genuinely seeks to fight corruption, no public official, regardless of political affiliation or proximity to the Federal Government, should enjoy immunity from investigation.
He stressed that selective justice is nothing but injustice disguised as law enforcement, warned that the anti-graft agency risks destroying its institutional credibility if it continues to operate on the basis of political convenience rather than evidence and due process.
He urged the EFCC to immediately reverse any action capable of crippling the legitimate activities of the Osun State Government without due judicial process and to reassure Nigerians through transparent and even-handed enforcement that it remains an independent institution rather than an extension of partisan politics.
He further called on the commission to investigate every allegation of corruption wherever it exists, including those involving politically influential individuals, instead of concentrating its attention only on states governed by perceived opponents of the ruling establishment.
Eze appealed to the people of Osun State to remain peaceful, vigilant and resolute as they prepare for the governorship election. He urged them not to be intimidated by actions that may be perceived as attempts to influence the electoral process through state institutions.
According to him, democracy flourishes only when elections are conducted on a level playing field where the will of the people, and not the machinery of political persecution, determines the outcome.
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