EFCC Says It Can Restrict Osun Account For 72 Hours Without Court Order

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has defended its restriction on an Osun State Government bank account, saying it can place a temporary restriction on an account for up to 72 hours before going to court if a court order is needed.

The defence adds a new layer to the dispute NaijaTrend earlier reported here, where Governor Ademola Adeleke directed the state attorney-general to challenge the restriction in court.

EFCC Director of Public Affairs Wilson Uwujaren told Arise Television that the commission acted under Section 34 of the EFCC Act and Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2022. He said those provisions allowed a temporary restriction while the agency continues its inquiry.

Punch reported that Uwujaren said the restriction could last within 72 hours before the commission would need to approach a court if it wanted a court order. The EFCC also said it had been investigating the Osun government since March 2026 over alleged handling of about N11bn in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations.

Premium Times reported that the Osun government rejected the allegation of N11bn fraud and described the freeze as unlawful and politically motivated. The state said the affected account was a salary account and accused the anti-graft agency of trying to justify an action it had already taken.

Adeleke and the state attorney-general, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), have argued that the EFCC may investigate government accounts but cannot freeze them without first obtaining a court order. The latest EFCC defence leaves the core legal dispute alive: whether the agency’s temporary restriction power covers the Osun account in the way it has claimed.

Sources: Punch and Premium Times.