The Osun State Government has pushed back against the EFCC, saying the agency froze the state’s bank account not because of fraud, but on the instructions of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
In a statement on Thursday, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, called the EFCC’s claim of an N11 billion fraud probe “a failed attempt to cover up an illegal action.” He said “there is no fund to loot in Osun State.”
According to the government, the real target was palliative payments for workers. “The real reason the commission froze the state account on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers some months ago,” the statement said. The government described the move as “the climax of Oyetola/Ambo’s historic anti-workers’ obsession.”
Despite the freeze, officials said all workers have already received the palliatives. The payments, they explained, followed negotiations to help cushion the current economic hardship, and are not the first cost-of-living support given to state workers.
The government also accused the EFCC of working with the Osun APC to carry out a politically motivated operation. It said funds available to the state are going into “mega projects, workers welfare and sectoral developments,” and noted that Osun has won awards for budget and auditing transparency.
Officials further alleged a months-long “witch-hunt” since March 2026, with government officials being invited weekly without any evidence. They argued that even if the EFCC had proof, due legal process should be followed instead of freezing an entire state account.
The EFCC responded a day earlier. In a statement by Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the Commission said the freeze was to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds under investigation, and was not tied to the upcoming governorship election.
The EFCC said it has been probing the Osun government since March 2026 over the alleged fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and FAAC allocations totaling N11 billion. It added that some state officials, including the Accountant General, have already been questioned.
The dispute sets the EFCC’s anti-corruption probe against the state government’s claim of political interference, with both sides insisting their actions are lawful.
