Isaac Fayose faults EFCC over Osun account freeze

The Osun State Government has vehemently denied allegations made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that ₦11 billion was stolen from its accounts. In a statement released on Thursday via X by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government dismissed the claims as a "failed attempt to cover up illegal action through unfounded allegations."

Alimi claimed that the alleged financial misconduct was actually an effort by the EFCC to prevent the payment of palliatives to workers. The government stated that the commission had frozen the state account at the directive of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola with the purpose of stopping the payment of these worker benefits. Despite the account freeze, the government affirmed that it had already distributed the palliatives to all Osun State workers following negotiations to alleviate the impact of the country's economic difficulties.

The statement emphasized that the payment of the subsidy was not a novel occurrence, as it had been done previously for Osun workers. Rejecting the accusations of misappropriation, the government accused the EFCC of conducting a politically motivated investigation. It stated that the evidence pointed to the commission pursuing an "hatchet job for the Osun APC" by unlawfully freezing the state account and falsely accusing the government of looting funds.

The government further dismissed the notion that there was any looting of public funds in Osun State, asserting that they were committed to delivering public goods and services. It highlighted that the state's available resources had been invested in infrastructure, workers' welfare, and sectoral development for the benefit of the population.

The government also alleged that the EFCC had been investigating top officials since March 2026 without finding any evidence of wrongdoing, describing the investigation as a "witch-hunting" effort to distract officials from their duties.

The statement concluded by criticizing the EFCC's reported allegations as an afterthought, emphasizing that if the commission had any credible evidence of corruption, they should follow established procedures for holding suspects accountable, rather than unlawfully freezing government accounts. The government concluded by asserting that the commission's "alibi" was an attempt to cover up an illegal action that had backfired, and it would not withstand scrutiny in reality or the public eye.