Osun State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, has announced plans to challenge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in court after the agency froze the state government’s accounts.
Speaking on Wednesday, Jimi-Bada said a “Post No Debit” directive from the EFCC was sent to First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled. He warned that the move could cripple government operations, stressing that Governor Ademola Adeleke was not using state funds for his re-election campaign.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts but it cannot freeze them without a court order,” Jimi-Bada said.
The Attorney General added that the state would ensure the anti-graft agency acts within the law.
Supporting his position, Osun Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police officers stormed the First Bank branch in Osogbo and arrested staff members. He also insisted that Adeleke’s campaign was not funded with state resources, urging the EFCC to consider the impact of its actions on residents.
Earlier, Governor Adeleke had raised alarm over reports that the EFCC planned to freeze all state government accounts and those of top officials. In a statement signed by Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke described the move as an attempt to paralyse governance ahead of the August 15 governorship election, calling it “the height of lawlessness.”
The governor maintained that the EFCC has no legal authority to freeze state government accounts without judicial approval.
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