The Osun State Government has denied allegations that ₦11 billion was looted from its treasury, insisting there was no financial misconduct behind the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) decision to freeze its bank accounts.
The government described the allegation as false and accused the anti-graft agency of trying to justify what it called an unlawful action with unfounded claims. It maintained that public funds had been prudently utilised for infrastructure, workers’ welfare and other development projects across the state.
Tribune Online reports that the EFCC said it froze the Osun State Government’s bank accounts to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
However, in a statement posted on X on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government alleged that the accounts were frozen on the instruction of a former governor of the state in order to stop the payment of palliatives promised to 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 said the account freeze did not stop it from paying the palliatives, adding that all eligible workers had received the support after negotiations aimed at cushioning the effects of the country’s economic hardship.
“Fortunately, we have paid the palliatives to all Osun State workers,” the statement added, noting that the subsidy “was not the first time such a cost of living subsidy was paid to Osun workers.”
The state government also accused the EFCC of pursuing a politically motivated investigation and acting in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“All material facts point to the fact that the commission is pursuing a hatchet job for the Osun APC by illegally freezing the state account and falsely accusing the government of looting ecological and other state funds,” it stated.
The government further declared: “We don’t loot public funds in Osun State; we deliver on public goods and services.”
According to the statement, the state’s limited resources had been committed to executing major projects, improving workers’ welfare and funding other development programmes.
“There is no fund to loot in Osun State as the little resources we have are expended on the many mega projects, workers welfare and sectoral developments for the benefit of the masses,” the government said.
The statement further alleged that the EFCC had been investigating senior government officials since March 2026 without finding any evidence of wrongdoing.
“The EFCC has been conducting a witch-hunting investigation since March, 2026, without any indicting evidence against top officials,” the statement read, adding that officials had been subjected to weekly harassment intended “to distract them from delivering good governance.”
The government argued that if the commission had credible evidence of corruption, it should have followed due process instead of freezing the state’s accounts.
“Assuming but not conceding that the EFCC has any evidence of looting as posited, there are established procedures for bringing suspects to book instead of a politically motivated, unlawful freezing of government accounts without recourse to the rule of law,” it said.
Describing the EFCC’s allegation as an afterthought, the government insisted the commission was attempting to defend an action that had failed.
“It is sad that a commission will lie to destroy the image of a state to cover up an illegal action that has backfired. This alibi from the commission is an afterthought and it cannot stand the test of truth in reality and the court of public opinion.”
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