President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
The president said the directive was necessary to protect public confidence in the democratic process, noting that the state was only days away from its governorship election.
Tinubu, in a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, said he was not opposed to the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory powers but expressed concern over the timing of the action.
“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.
“I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action,” the President said.
The EFCC had obtained the order as part of its investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government.
The commission had earlier defended the move, insisting that its actions were within the law and that it had the authority to place restrictions on accounts suspected to be linked to financial crimes.
The anti-graft agency also stated that it could freeze accounts for 72 hours without a court order before seeking judicial approval for further restrictions.
Tinubu, however, said actions taken by federal institutions were often attributed to him as President, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
“This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action,” he stated.
The President said since assuming office, he had maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies should operate independently without interference.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference,” Tinubu said.
He added that he had deliberately avoided directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or other investigative agencies because of his belief in strong democratic institutions.
