Tinubu Orders EFCC To Drop Freeze On Osun Account

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to vacate its freeze on an Osun State Government account, stepping into a dispute that had grown sharper days before the state governorship election.

The order follows the EFCC restriction earlier reported here, where the commission defended its power to restrict the account while investigating alleged movement of public funds.

Daily Trust reported that Tinubu, in a personally signed statement, said he was not opposed to the EFCC using its statutory powers but was concerned that the timing could create the impression of federal interference in the August 15 election.

The EFCC had frozen the account over alleged handling of ecology funds, intervention funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee allocations estimated at about N11bn. The commission said suspicious movement of funds from the account since August 2 led to its action.

Governor Ademola Adeleke rejected the freeze as unconstitutional and said no court order had been obtained before the directive was issued. The Osun government had also gone to court over the restriction.

Punch reported that the president directed the EFCC to approach the court to vacate the freeze and discontinue related action. The outlet said the reversal came amid criticism of EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and wider political argument over the account freeze.

Sources: Daily Trust and Punch.