The Osun State Government has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), its Executive Chairman and First Bank of Nigeria over the freezing of the state’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account.
The suit was filed by Governor Ademola Adeleke, the state’s Attorney-General and the Accountant-General, who are challenging the legality of the action and seeking the immediate restoration of access to the account.
Court documents show that the case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1762/2026 and FHC/ABJ/CS/1763/2026, was filed on August 5 and 6 during the court’s annual vacation, with the state requesting an urgent hearing before a vacation judge.
According to the court filings, the EFCC, through a letter dated August 5, 2026, directed First Bank to place restrictions on the Osun State Government Statutory Allocation Account. The state said it became aware of the restriction after receiving a notification from the bank on the same day.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, the Osun State Government argued that the account serves as its main channel for receiving federal allocations and funding key government activities, including payment of salaries, pensions, healthcare services, education, security operations, public infrastructure and other statutory obligations.
The government maintained that the EFCC acted outside its powers by directing the bank to freeze the account without first obtaining a valid court order. It also accused First Bank of complying with the directive without verifying that due legal process had been followed.
The state further alleged that the timing of the restriction, coming days before the governorship election, could disrupt government operations and create the impression of political interference. It argued that the action would negatively affect the delivery of essential public services and worsen the state’s financial challenges.
The government also stated that the EFCC had not identified any specific transaction or amount linked to alleged criminal activity, insisting that if the commission was investigating particular funds, it should have followed the appropriate legal procedure rather than freezing the entire account.
Among the reliefs sought, the Osun State Government is asking the court to declare the restriction unlawful, order the immediate unfreezing of the account, restrain the EFCC and First Bank from taking similar action without due process, and award ₦2 billion in damages.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has defended its action, saying the restriction was part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged diversion of about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations. The commission maintained that the decision was based solely on its investigation and had no connection with the forthcoming governorship election.
However, President Bola Tinubu has directed the EFCC to immediately take steps to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts. The President said although the commission was carrying out its statutory responsibilities, the timing of the action, coming just days before the election, could create the perception of federal interference in the electoral process.
Tinubu also instructed the anti-graft agency to discontinue all actions relating to the freezing of the accounts, stating that he was concerned about the public impression the development could create.
