Osun EFCC account freeze: Public rage boils over as Tinubu reverses controversial order

By: Abudu Olalekan

Things are spinning out of control in Osun State. What started as a move by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to lock down a state government account has blown up into a massive political storm. Now, President Bola Tinubu has stepped in, ordering the EFCC to back off. Naturally, the opposition is asking tough questions, lawyers are arguing, and regular Nigerians on social media are calling for the head of the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

It all started on Wednesday. The EFCC blocked withdrawals from the Osun State statutory allocation account. They said they were tracking some highly suspicious movements of cash. Specifically, they are looking into how about N11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and federal allocations was handled.

But then, President Tinubu did something unexpected. On Thursday, he personally signed a statement telling the anti-graft agency to go back to court and lift the freeze immediately. He admitted he hadn’t even been fully briefed on the case yet. But the timing? He said it was just terrible, especially with the Osun governorship election coming up on August 15.

“I felt deeply embarrassed”

In his statement, titled ‘President Tinubu Directs EFCC To Vacate The Court Order Freezing Osun Government Account’, the President did not hold back. He said he was deeply embarrassed. Not because the EFCC was doing its job, but because of when they chose to do it.

Tinubu argued that no federal agency should make it look like the government is trying to tilt the scales in an election.

“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election,” the statement read. Because of that, nothing should make it look like the EFCC is being used as a political weapon. He called the timing “inauspicious” and said while anti-corruption bodies need to be independent, keeping the public’s trust in elections is way more important.

So, he told them to call off the dogs and drop the court actions against Osun State.

Before the President stepped in, the EFCC was busy defending its actions. Their Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, argued they were just following the law. He cited sections of the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering Act, which let them temporarily freeze suspicious accounts for up to 72 hours before getting a court order.

Uwujaren also clarified they did not freeze every single Osun State account—just one. He said their investigation actually started back in March, and by early August, they saw things that forced them to act quickly to save public funds. He even pointed out they did the same thing in Edo State before their election.

According to him, this was strictly professional. No politics involved.

Osun takes the fight to court

Osun State, however, is not buying any of it. On Wednesday, Governor Ademola Adeleke and his team dragged the EFCC and First Bank to the Federal High Court in Abuja. They are demanding N2 billion in damages.

They want the court to decide if freezing a state’s main account like this is just a display of “executive lawlessness” and a slap in the face of constitutional democracy. The state claims the EFCC didn’t even have a valid court order when they told First Bank to lock the account on August 5. They believe a mere administrative letter shouldn’t be enough to starve a whole state of its funds.

It is worth noting that Adeleke is running for a second term under the Accord Party. Lately, things have been incredibly tense between his supporters and the APC, who wants the state back. Adeleke’s camp is convinced the APC is using federal might to bully them before the vote. The APC, of course, says that’s nonsense.

Osun’s Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, dismissed the N11 billion diversion claim as a cheap excuse. He claimed the real goal was to stop the state from paying the palliatives they promised to workers. He blamed the whole thing on former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

Atiku and the opposition pounce

This whole situation has given the opposition plenty of ammunition. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said they are glad the freeze was lifted, but they feel Tinubu’s excuse sounds fishy.

“In all of its public statements on this matter, the EFCC never once claimed that it had obtained a court order,” said Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC spokesperson. Yet, the President kept talking about a court order. The party argues that if the President can just tell the EFCC to stop a legal action, then any talk of the agency being “independent” is dead.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar agreed. He said this completely exposes how the presidency pulls the strings behind the scenes.

“It is impossible to ignore the implications of freezing a state’s principal operational account on the eve of an election,” Atiku said. He warned that this kind of weaponization of state institutions only hurts public trust. He also asked why the President isn’t showing the same energy by telling the ICPC to stop opposing bail for former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Social media goes wild

While the politicians argue, Nigerians on X and Facebook are absolutely furious with EFCC boss Ola Olukoyede. Many are demanding he step down.

On X, users didn’t mince words. One user, @Otunse1, posted that Olukoyede needs to resign because his actions show he is easily influenced. Another commentator, A.M. Temidayo, predicted that Olukoyede’s exit would be the most embarrassing in the commission’s history, saying the institution has become a tool for settling political scores.

Over on Facebook, the anger was just as raw. Some users pointed out that Olukoyede, who is also a pastor, should have higher ethical standards. One user, Segun Ben-Ajayi, wrote: “If Tinubu is more ethical than you as a pastor, then you are worse than Judas Iscariot.” Others argued that if Tinubu really didn’t know about the freeze beforehand, he should sack Olukoyede immediately for embarrassing the nation.

What the experts think

Constitutional lawyers and activists are divided, but most agree the timing was terrible.

Tokunbo Afikuyomi, a legal expert, praised Tinubu for stepping in to protect the election’s credibility. However, he warned that the EFCC still needs to go back to court to properly lift the freeze, rather than just relying on the President’s say-so.

Afam Osigwe, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, also criticized the blanket freeze, warning that locking a state’s finances without proper legal backing can paralyze governance.

Meanwhile, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani from the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) thinks this whole mess shows we need to fix our laws. He says both sides have a point under current laws, which is why we have these messy clashes. He warned, however, that public funds must never be used for campaigns—no matter which party is in charge.

APC demands an apology

But the Osun APC is singing a different tune. They want Governor Adeleke to apologize to Tinubu and Oyetola for throwing accusations around.

Kola Olabisi, the APC spokesperson in the state, pointed out that Tinubu never said Adeleke was innocent. He only complained about the timing.

“The confused and frustrated Governor Ademola Adeleke… must apologize,” Olabisi said, adding that the governor needs to show some political maturity.

For now, the drama continues to build. With the August 15 election just around the corner, this fight is far from over. Reportersroom will keep tracking the updates as they unfold.