The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly placed a restriction on an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, less than two weeks before the state’s governorship election.
According to documents obtained by Vanguard, the affected account, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, has been placed on a “Post No Debit” restriction by the anti-graft agency.
The development comes days after Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze state government accounts, as well as those of top government officials, ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Reacting to the reported action, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, described it as an attempt to cripple government operations in the run-up to the election.
Governor Adeleke maintained that there was no legal basis for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacks the statutory authority to impose such restrictions on a state government’s bank accounts.
A source close to the administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the account had already been restricted.
“I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation,” the source said.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official statement on the reported development, while the reason for the account restriction remained unclear.
