Adeleke Condemns EFCC Over Freeze of Osun Accounts, Heads to Court

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has condemned the freezing of the state’s First Bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing the action as an attack on democracy and a violation of constitutional principles.

Addressing the Press on Wednesday, Adeleke disclosed that the state government received a letter from its banker informing it of an EFCC directive ordering the account to be frozen without a court order.

The governor said the state would challenge the action at the Federal High Court, insisting that while the EFCC has the constitutional power to investigate government accounts, it cannot lawfully freeze them without first obtaining a court order.

“This morning, we received a letter from our banker forwarding a letter from the EFCC instructing the bank to freeze the Osun State Government account. This action was taken without any court order. We are supposed to be in a democracy where the rule of law must always prevail,” Adeleke said.

He warned that allowing federal agencies to act outside the law would erode Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“We will not accept any situation where federal agencies trample on the constitutional rights of subnational governments. This is a threat to democracy. If we all keep quiet and allow this illegality, very soon whatever is left of our democracy will be fully eroded,” he added.

The governor called on the EFCC Chairman to publicly explain the reasons behind the freezing of the state’s account and provide evidence to justify the decision.

“All I ask is for the EFCC Chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and Nigerians in general why he froze the Osun State Government account and show proof to support whatever reason he presents,” Adeleke stated.

He also alleged that members of the Accord Party had come under attack ahead of the August 15 governorship election, claiming that several party members had been killed while about 60 others had been arrested.

According to Adeleke, the freezing of the state’s accounts and the alleged intimidation of opposition members constitute a serious threat to constitutional democracy and the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) froze the account of the Osun State Government domiciled with First Bank, ten days before the governorship election. The account, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.