The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly placed a “Post No Debit” restriction on an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, just 10 days before the state’s governorship election.
Documents obtained by Vanguard indicate that the affected account is used for the payment of workers’ salaries, raising concerns over the potential impact on government operations.
The development comes shortly after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze state government accounts, as well as those of top officials, ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Reacting to the reported action, the Osun State Government described the move as a deliberate attempt to disrupt its activities in the build-up to the election.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, maintained that there was no legal basis for the restriction, arguing that the EFCC lacks the statutory authority to freeze a state government’s account.
A source within the state administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the account had already been placed under restriction.
“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.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official statement on the matter, and the reason for the account restriction remained unclear.
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