By Abigail David
The Osun State Government says it will challenge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in court after alleging that 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 file a suit at the Federal High Court over the development.
According to Jimi-Bada, the EFCC issued a “Post No Debit” directive to First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled. He argued that while the commission has the power to investigate financial records, freezing government accounts requires a court order.
He said the action could disrupt government operations but expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved through the courts. Jimi-Bada also maintained that state funds were not being used to finance Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign.
The Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, also alleged that police officers visited the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some bank employees. He urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of the account restrictions on governance and residents.
Earlier on Wednesday, Governor Adeleke alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state’s accounts and those of top government officials ahead of the August 15 governorship election. He described the reported move as unlawful and claimed it was intended to disrupt government activities before the poll.
The EFCC had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of this report.
