Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has filed a ₦2 billion lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), challenging the agency's decision to freeze the state's Federal Statutory Allocation Account. The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, names the EFCC, its Chairman, and First Bank Nigeria Limited as defendants.
Legal Action Details
Also listed as co-plaintiffs are the Attorney General of Osun State and the state's Accountant General. The Osun State Government contends that the EFCC acted outside its legal powers by directing First Bank to place a restriction on the state's statutory allocation account without first obtaining a valid court order from a competent jurisdiction.
The plaintiffs argue that the action violated the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. According to court filings, the government is asking the court to declare the freezing of the account unlawful, unconstitutional, and void.
Demands and Reliefs Sought
The state is also seeking to nullify the restriction placed on the account, compel First Bank to immediately restore unrestricted access to the funds, and permanently restrain both the EFCC and the bank from taking similar actions without due legal process. Additionally, the state is demanding ₦2 billion in exemplary and aggravated damages for what it described as unlawful interference with public funds, plus litigation costs.
Background of the Freeze
The legal action follows the EFCC's confirmation that it froze the account as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged mismanagement of about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations belonging to the Osun State Government. The commission said the investigation, which commenced in March 2026, aimed to prevent the movement of funds under investigation and was not connected to the forthcoming governorship election.
Governor's Response and Presidential Directive
Governor Adeleke has maintained that the action is unconstitutional and capable of disrupting the state's ability to carry out its constitutional responsibilities. The lawsuit also comes after President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to take immediate steps to unfreeze the Osun State Federal Statutory Allocation Account.
In a statement, the President said he was "deeply embarrassed" by the timing of the agency's action while noting that the EFCC was carrying out its statutory investigative mandate. No date has yet been fixed for the hearing of the suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
