EFCC Defends Osun Account Restriction, Says Law Allows 72-Hour Freeze Without Court Order
By Aliyu Oyewole
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has defended its decision to place a restriction on an Osun State Government account, insisting that the action was lawful and did not require a prior court order.
The commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said the restriction was imposed after investigators detected what they described as suspicious financial transactions on the account over the past week.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, Uwujaren explained that the commission acted to preserve the account pending further investigation.
“We observed in the past one week that activities on that account looked suspicious, and based on the mandate of the Commission, we took the step of placing a restriction on that account to preserve it,” he said.
He clarified that the action targeted only one government account and should not be interpreted as a freeze on all Osun State accounts.
According to him, the EFCC noticed substantial transfers from the account to several corporate entities within a short period, prompting the intervention.
“The essence is just to preserve that account because we observed suspicious activities on that account in terms of the transfer of funds to a number of entities within one week,” Uwujaren stated.
He maintained that the ongoing Osun governorship election process did not prevent the commission from carrying out its statutory responsibilities.
“We have the responsibility under the law to do so because if we don’t take that step and, for instance, funds are looted from the account of the Osun State Government, the Nigerian public will ask where the EFCC was when those funds were being moved,” he added.
Uwujaren further stressed that the restriction would not cripple the state’s operations, noting that the government still has access to its other bank accounts for routine financial obligations.
“It does not stop the Osun State Government from running the government of the state because they have access to other funds in the other accounts that they have. This is not a blanket freezing of accounts but a targeted restriction,” he said.
On the legal basis for the action, the EFCC spokesperson cited Section 34 of the EFCC Act and Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022, arguing that both provisions empower the commission to place a temporary restriction on an account without first obtaining a court order.
He explained that such a restriction can remain in force for up to 72 hours, after which the commission would seek judicial approval if it intends to extend the restriction.
The EFCC had earlier disclosed that it has been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged mismanagement of about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations. The commission said several state officials, including the Accountant General, had already been interrogated.
The commission’s position comes amid criticism from Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who has demanded that EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede justify what he described as an illegal freeze on the state’s account.
Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), has also argued that while the EFCC has the authority to investigate government accounts, it cannot freeze them without first obtaining a court order. He disclosed that the state government has been directed to challenge the commission’s action before the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
