Adeleke Takes EFCC, First Bank To Court Over ₦2bn Claim

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has instituted a ₦2 billion legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and First Bank Nigeria Limited over the restriction placed on the state’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account.

According to Ireporter Online, the suit was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the legality of a Post-No-Debit directive issued by the anti-graft agency, which prevented transactions on the state government’s account.

The Osun State Government, through the suit, argued that the restriction was unlawful, unconstitutional and capable of disrupting the administration of the state. The Attorney-General of Osun State and the Accountant-General of the state were listed as co-plaintiffs.

The EFCC, its chairman and First Bank Nigeria Limited were named as defendants in the case filed by a legal team led by M. T. Adekilekun (SAN).

The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the EFCC had the legal authority to freeze or restrict access to a state government’s statutory allocation account without first obtaining a valid court order.

Osun State Government alleged that the commission’s directive dated August 5, 2026, violated constitutional provisions and amounted to an abuse of executive powers. It also asked the court to award ₦2 billion in exemplary and aggravated damages over what it described as unlawful interference with public funds.

The state maintained that the EFCC could not place restrictions on its account solely through an administrative directive without following due process, adding that the action threatened its ability to meet financial obligations, pay salaries and execute government programmes.

The government also challenged First Bank’s decision to comply with the EFCC directive, arguing that the bank should not have restricted access to the account without a court-backed order.

Among the reliefs sought by the state is an order directing the immediate removal of all restrictions placed on the account and granting the government unrestricted access to its statutory funds.

The legal action followed the EFCC’s confirmation that it restricted the account as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged mismanagement of about ₦11 billion belonging to the state.

The commission said it had been investigating alleged issues involving Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee allocations since March 2026. It added that the restriction was necessary after investigators allegedly detected suspicious movement of funds into certain corporate accounts.

The EFCC denied that its action was politically motivated or connected to the August 15 governorship election, insisting that the move was part of its responsibility to protect public funds under investigation.

Governor Adeleke, however, rejected the explanation, describing the restriction as unconstitutional and questioning the timing of the action.

Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the EFCC to take necessary legal steps towards lifting the restriction on the Osun State account.

Tinubu said he was concerned about the timing of the EFCC’s action shortly before the governorship election, while maintaining that the commission has the responsibility to investigate allegations of financial misconduct.

The President instructed the anti-graft agency to approach the appropriate court and follow due process in resolving the matter.