President Bola Tinubu personally informed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke that he had directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to lift the restriction placed on the state’s bank accounts, according to the presidency.
Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, said Tinubu conveyed the decision during a telephone conversation with Adeleke on Thursday.
“President Tinubu in a phone conversation with Governor Ademola Adeleke on Thursday informed him about his directive to the EFCC to lift the court order on the Osun State Government account,” Onanuga said.
The development followed Tinubu’s earlier directive ordering the EFCC to immediately vacate the restriction on the Osun State Government’s accounts.
In a personally signed statement, the President said that although the EFCC acted within its legal powers by seeking a court order, the timing of the action—just days before the August 15 governorship election in Osun—was inappropriate.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government,” Tinubu said.
The EFCC, however, had earlier stated that it relied on provisions of the EFCC Establishment Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 rather than a court order when placing the restriction on the accounts.
Wilson Uwujaren, the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, said the restriction would remain in force for 72 hours, after which the agency would approach the court if it considered further action necessary.
The anti-graft agency said it froze the accounts over alleged fraudulent handling of public funds. According to the commission, investigations began in March, with several government officials, including the Accountant-General, questioned by investigators.
The EFCC also alleged that it detected significant transfers from the state’s accounts into various corporate entities from August 2 while the investigation was ongoing.
Reacting to the allegations, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, dismissed the EFCC’s claims, describing them as an attempt to justify what he called an illegal action through unfounded accusations.
