The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has placed a “Post No Debit” restriction on an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, just ten days before the governorship election, documents obtained by this newspaper have confirmed.
The affected account, which is understood to be used for salary payments, was frozen hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the anti-graft agency to cripple state finances .
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor had described the anticipated move as an attempt to paralyse government operations ahead of the August 15 poll . Governor Adeleke maintained that the commission lacked the statutory authority to freeze a state government’s account, arguing there was no legal justification for such action .
A source close to the governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Vanguard that the restriction had been implemented . “I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation,” the source said .
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had yet to issue an official statement regarding the development, and the specific reasons for the account restriction remain unclear .