The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen the bank accounts of at least eight Nigerian state governments since 2006, with Osun State becoming the latest addition in 2026. This was revealed by the analytics account StatiSense via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, August 7, 2026.
Full List of States with Frozen Accounts
According to the data shared by StatiSense, the affected states span multiple geopolitical zones, including the North Central, South-South, North East, and South West. The list is as follows:
- Plateau – 2006
- Rivers – 2008
- Adamawa – 2014
- Benue – 2018
- Akwa Ibom – 2018
- Bauchi – 2019
- Kogi – 2021
- Osun – 2026
Plateau State, in the North Central region, was the first to have its government account frozen by the EFCC, back in 2006. Rivers State followed in 2008, while Adamawa State was affected in 2014. In 2018, both Benue and Akwa Ibom had their accounts frozen, followed by Bauchi in 2019 and Kogi in 2021.
Osun State's Freeze Draws Attention
The addition of Osun State in 2026 attracted significant attention online due to its timing. Osun, located in Nigeria's South West, is currently governed by Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party. The freeze has sparked controversy, particularly as it comes just days before the August 15 Osun governorship election.
The EFCC is Nigeria's primary anti-corruption agency, established to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. Account freezes by the commission are typically linked to ongoing investigations into suspected mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds. However, the specific reasons behind each state's freeze were not detailed in the StatiSense data.
Accord Party Reacts
In response, the Accord Party's National Chairman addressed a world press conference in Abuja on Friday, calling out the EFCC over the freezing of the Osun State Government's account. The party alleged that the anti-graft agency acted outside its constitutional powers, just days before the governorship election. Accord Party also raised alarm over the alleged arrest of about 60 of its supporters across Abuja, Osun, and Nasarawa states.
Atiku's Warning
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also weighed in, warning that freezing Osun State's allocation account days before the governorship election poses a threat to democratic credibility. Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the ADC, said the timing raises serious questions about whether federal institutions are acting independently of political interests. He called on the EFCC to reverse the freeze and urged all election-related institutions to act with impartiality and respect for the Constitution.
