- Osun State has sued the EFCC over the freezing of its allocation account.
- The state is seeking ₦2 billion in damages and an immediate reversal of the restriction
- The case is before the Federal High Courtwith no hearing date fixed yet
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has filed a ₦2 billion lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), challenging the freezing of the state’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account.
The suit, lodged before the Federal High Court in Abuja, also lists the Attorney General of Osun State and the state’s Accountant General as co-plaintiffs. The EFCC, its Chairman and First Bank Nigeria Limited were named as defendants, Eko Hot Blog gathered.
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Through a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, M. T. Adekilekun, the plaintiffs argued that the anti-graft agency acted outside its legal powers by directing the bank to place a “post no debit” restriction on the state’s account without first obtaining a valid court order.
The suit asks the court to determine whether the EFCC has the constitutional authority to freeze or restrict a state’s statutory allocation account without judicial approval, citing relevant provisions of the Constitution, the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
According to the plaintiffs, the directive issued to First Bank on August 5, 2026, amounted to an abuse of statutory powers, violated due process and threatened the constitutional and financial autonomy of Osun State.
They also questioned whether the bank acted lawfully by complying with the EFCC’s instruction without a subsisting court order, arguing that the action could cripple the state’s ability to carry out its constitutional responsibilities.
Among the reliefs sought are declarations that the freezing of the account was unconstitutional, unlawful and null and void, as well as an order compelling the immediate removal of all restrictions placed on the account.
The plaintiffs also requested a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from freezing or interfering with any Osun State government account in the future without following due legal process. They equally asked the court to bar First Bank from acting on similar directives unless backed by a valid court order.
In addition, the state is seeking ₦2 billion in exemplary and aggravated damages for what it described as the unlawful interference with public funds, alongside the cost of the legal proceedings.
No hearing date has been fixed for the case.
The suit was filed shortly after President Bola Tinubu reportedly directed the EFCC to approach the court to facilitate the unfreezing of Osun State’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account.
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