Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen an account belonging to the Osun State government domiciled with First Bank, just 10 days before the state’s governorship election.

The account, reportedly used by the state government for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.

The development is coming hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state government’s accounts as well as those belonging to some top officials of his administration.

Governor Adeleke through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, on Wednesday described the reported move as an attempt to cripple the operations of the state government ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The governor also argued that there is no legal basis for freezing the accounts, insisting that the EFCC lacks the statutory powers to take such action against the state government.

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A source close to the governor, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that the account had been frozen.

“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 reason for the restriction on the account was not immediately clear as of the time of filing the report.

The EFCC had also not issued an official statement explaining the action or confirming the reported freezing of the account.

The development comes at a politically sensitive period in Osun State, with the governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.

The reported restriction of an account allegedly used for workers’ salaries could potentially affect the state government’s financial operations, although the full implications of the EFCC action were not immediately known.