Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, says the state government will sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over its decision to freeze government accounts.
Jimi-Bada said the EFCC issued a post-no-debit directive to First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled, adding that the agency had no legal right to freeze the accounts without first obtaining a court order.
According to him, Governor Ademola Adeleke has authorized the state to challenge the action at the Federal High Court, warning that the restriction could disrupt government operations. He also denied claims that state funds were being used for the governor’s re-election campaign.
The Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, also criticized the EFCC’s action, alleging that police officers visited First Bank’s Osogbo branch and arrested some staff members. He urged the anti-graft agency to consider the impact of its actions on governance and residents of the state.
Earlier, Governor Ademola Adeleke had alleged that the EFCC planned to freeze all state government accounts and 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 unlawful and politically motivated, insisting the EFCC has no legal authority to freeze a state’s accounts without due process.
