Tinubu Directs EFCC to Lift Freeze on Osun Government Accounts

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.

The President said the decision was aimed at preserving public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process, especially as Osun State prepares for its governorship election in the coming days.

In a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, Tinubu clarified that while he supports the EFCC’s statutory responsibility to investigate financial crimes, he expressed reservations over the timing of the commission’s action.

According to the President, “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 EFCC had secured the court order as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving the Osun State Government.

The anti-graft agency had earlier defended its decision, maintaining that the action was lawful and within its powers to restrict accounts suspected to be connected to financial crimes.

Tinubu’s directive is expected to pave the way for the immediate reversal of the account freeze, a move the Presidency says is necessary to prevent any perception of undue interference ahead of the state’s gubernatorial election.