Tinubu orders EFCC to unfreeze Osun government accounts

President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to withdraw the court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun state government.

In a statement he personally signed on Thursday, the president said he was embarrassed by the development because the actions of federal agencies are often linked to the presidency, even when he is not aware of them beforehand.

Tinubu said although the EFCC acted within its legal mandate by securing a court order, carrying out the action just days before the August 15 governorship election in Osun was ill-timed.

“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government,” he said.

“I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action.”

The president said he has consistently allowed anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to discharge their duties independently, without interference or political influence.

He added that his administration remains focused on building strong institutions and ensuring they function within the limits of the law.

“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene,” Tinubu said.

He said no action should give the impression that any federal agency is being deployed to influence the outcome of the upcoming governorship election.

“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election,” he said.

Tinubu said he had directed the anti-graft agency to immediately return to court to set aside the order freezing the state’s accounts and end the legal action.

“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” he said.

BACKGROUND

On Wednesday, the EFCC said it froze the Osun government’s bank accounts over alleged fraudulent transactions involving public funds.

The commission said its investigation began in March and that several government officials, including the accountant-general, had already been questioned.

It also alleged that investigators discovered large transfers from the state accounts into several corporate entities from August 2 while the probe was ongoing.

However, in a statement issued on Thursday, Kolapo Alimi, the commissioner for information and public enlightenment, rejected the EFCC’s explanation, saying it was an attempt to justify what he described as an unlawful action with baseless claims.

“The real reason the commission froze the state account on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers some months ago,” Alimi said.

The development comes as political activities intensify ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun.

Ademola Adeleke is seeking a second term as governor on the platform of the Accord Party.

In the weeks leading up to the election, supporters of the governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have traded accusations as the opposition party pushes to regain control of the state after four years.

Adeleke’s supporters have accused the APC of using federal agencies, including the police and the EFCC, to intimidate members of the Accord Party before the election. The APC has denied the allegation.