The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has defended its decision to place a restriction on an Osun State Government account, insisting the action was lawful and did not require a prior court order.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday monitored by The News Chronicle, the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said the restriction was imposed after the EFCC detected what it described as suspicious transactions on the account over the past week.
According to him, the move was aimed solely at preserving the account while investigations continue.
“As we indicated in the statement released by the Commission, we took that step to preserve the account of the Osun State Government.
“We observed in the past one week that activities on that account looked suspicious, and based on the mandate of the Commission, we placed a restriction on the account to preserve it,” he said.
Uwujaren clarified that the action affected only one government account and should not be interpreted as a blanket freeze on the state’s finances.
“That restriction does not mean that all the accounts of Osun State have been frozen. It is only a targeted restriction on one account of the Osun State Government,” he stated.
He explained that the EFCC observed significant transfers of funds from the account to several corporate entities within a short period, prompting the agency to intervene.
“The essence is simply to preserve the account because we observed suspicious activities involving transfers of funds to several entities within one week.
“So we had to take that decision to place a restriction on the account, notwithstanding the ongoing election process,” Uwujaren said.
The EFCC spokesperson maintained that the Commission had a statutory responsibility to act, arguing that failure to intervene could have allowed public funds to be diverted.
“We have the responsibility under the law to do so because if we failed to act and the funds were eventually looted, Nigerians would rightly ask where the EFCC was when the money was being moved,” he added.
Uwujaren stressed that the restriction would not disrupt governance in Osun State, noting that the government still had access to its other accounts.
“It does not stop the Osun State Government from running its affairs because it still has access to other funds in its other accounts.
“In any case, salary payments and other major expenditures are usually made once a month. What we have done is not a blanket freeze; it is only a targeted restriction. Once we are satisfied that the transactions are no longer suspicious, the restriction will be lifted,” he said.
Addressing concerns over the legality of the move, Uwujaren said the EFCC derives its powers from Section 34 of the EFCC Act and Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022.
READ ALSO: FG Cracks Down on Attacks Against Health Workers, Orders Immediate Safety Measures
He explained that the laws empower the Commission to impose a temporary restriction on a bank account for up to 72 hours before seeking a court order, if necessary.
“The restriction can remain in place for 72 hours before we approach the court, where required, to obtain an order,” he sai
The EFCC had earlier disclosed that it has been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged mismanagement of about N11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations.
The Commission also revealed that several state officials, including the Accountant General, had been questioned as part of the investigation.
Uwujaren’s remarks came in response to criticism from Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who described the restriction as illegal and challenged EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to justify the action.
The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), argued that while the EFCC has the authority to investigate government accounts, it cannot freeze them without first obtaining a court order, adding that the state would challenge the action before the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
