The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly frozen an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, just 10 days before the state’s governorship election.
Documents obtained by Vanguard revealed that the account, allegedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency, effectively restricting withdrawals from the account.
The development came shortly after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised the alarm that the EFCC was planning to freeze the accounts of the state government and some top officials ahead of the August 15 governorship poll.
In a statement released on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke described the alleged move as a calculated attempt to cripple government operations ahead of the election.
The governor insisted that there was no legal justification for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacked the statutory authority to take such action.
However, a source close to the governor confirmed that the account had already been frozen by the commission.
“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.
The alleged freezing of the account has heightened political tension in Osun, with the election just days away.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not released any official statement on the matter, while the reason behind the account restriction remained unclear.
