The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has removed the freeze it placed on Osun State Government bank accounts, days after President Bola Tinubu described the commission's action as "embarrassing" and ordered the restriction lifted.
Presidential Directive Prompted Immediate Action
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed the development on Friday, saying the EFCC moved immediately after receiving the presidential directive, Punch reports.
"The lien has been lifted. EFCC cannot ignore the presidential order. I can confirm to you that it was done immediately," Ajayi said.
Abdul-Jeleel Samakin, Senior Special Assistant on Media Monitoring to Osun Governor Adeleke, also confirmed the news on Saturday morning, writing in a WhatsApp message: "Yes, the accounts are active now. They've been unfrozen after some interventions."
Details of the Frozen Accounts
The EFCC placed the restriction on August 5, directing First Bank of Nigeria and Zenith Bank not to process any withdrawals or debit transactions from three affected accounts.
The accounts involved were the Osun State Government Federal Allocation Account 2017170947 at First Bank, and two Osun State Joint Allocation Accounts, numbered 1013374191 and 1014374909, both at Zenith Bank.
The commission said the freeze was part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged fraudulent handling of about N11 billion in state funds, covering Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
It maintained that the measure was necessary to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds while the probe continued.
Political Controversy and Election Timing
The timing of the action drew immediate controversy. The freeze came just 10 days before the August 15 governorship election, during which Governor Adeleke was seeking re-election against the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. Critics argued the move was politically motivated and designed to weaken the Adeleke administration ahead of the vote.
The Osun State Government filed a legal challenge against the EFCC's action while the restriction was still in place. However, after Adeleke secured victory in the August 15 election, he said he directed the state's Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, to withdraw the suit, citing Tinubu's intervention as the reason.
Official Reactions and Aftermath
Ajayi added that the speed with which the matter was resolved was itself an indication that the directive had been carried out.
"If it was not lifted, the Osun State Government would have made it a campaign issue. The fact that they are not talking about it shows it has been done," he said.
The EFCC had not issued any public statement on the lifting of the restriction at the time of reporting. Efforts to reach the commission's spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had ordered the state's attorney-general to pull back a lawsuit filed against the EFCC over the freezing of the state government's bank account, saying President Tinubu's direct intervention prompted the decision. Adeleke made the announcement during an interview with Channels Television, hours after he was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election.
