The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has moved to counter widespread reports suggesting it froze all of the Osun State Government’s bank accounts, insisting that only one account linked to an ongoing investigation was temporarily restricted.
The clarification comes amid growing political controversy over the commission’s decision to place a Post-No-Debit restriction on one of the state’s accounts, a move that sparked accusations of political interference ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Thursday, EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said reports claiming that the agency had frozen all Osun State accounts were inaccurate.
According to him, the commission acted only on a specific government account after investigators detected transactions it considered suspicious.
Uwujaren explained that the restriction was designed to preserve the integrity of the account while investigations continue, stressing that it was never intended to cripple the financial operations of the Osun State Government.
He maintained that the commission’s intervention was purely investigative and had no political motivation.
According to the EFCC spokesperson, the agency acted within the powers granted to it by law and would remove the restriction once it establishes that the transactions under review are legitimate.
“EFCC placed a temporary restriction on one Osun State government account after observing suspicious activities in the past week. This does not mean all Osun State accounts are frozen, only the targeted one. EFCC has the power to issue such temporary restrictions,” Uwujaren stated.
The latest clarification follows the commission’s earlier disclosure that it imposed the restriction after allegedly uncovering unusually large transfers from the account into corporate entities considered suspicious.
According to the anti-graft agency, the account forms part of a broader investigation into the alleged mismanagement of approximately ₦11 billion in public funds belonging to the Osun State Government.
The commission has repeatedly rejected claims that the timing of the action is connected to the forthcoming governorship election, insisting that the investigation predates the election season and is strictly part of its statutory responsibility to safeguard public resources.
The EFCC also reiterated that the temporary restriction would remain only for as long as necessary to complete its investigation, after which normal operations on the account would resume if no fraudulent activity is established.
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