Osun State Government has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to the Federal High Court in Abuja over the freezing of its Federal Statutory Allocation Account, demanding ₦2 billion as damages.
Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Attorney General and the Accountant General, Jimi Bada (SAN), were the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs.
The EFCC, its chairman, and First Bank Nigeria Limited are listed as 1st to 3rd defendants.
The suit, filed by a team of lawyers led by M. T. Adekilekun, SAN, challenges the EFCC’s directive of August 5, 2026, to First Bank to place a “post no debit” on Osun State Statutory Account No. 2017170947 without a court order.
The plaintiffs asked the court to determine whether the EFCC has lawful authority under the Constitution and the EFCC and Money Laundering Acts to freeze a state allocation account without due process and a valid court order.
They argued that the action constitutes executive lawlessness, abuse of statutory powers, and a violation of the financial autonomy of a federating unit, and that it threatens the constitutional functions of the state government.
Osun Government is seeking an order nullifying the freeze, and a directive mandating First Bank to immediately unfreeze the account and allow unrestricted access to the funds.
The state also prayed the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC and First Bank from further interfering with the account or any other state account except in accordance with the law.
In addition, the plaintiffs asked the court to award ₦2 billion as exemplary and aggravated damages for what they described as unlawful interference with public funds, and to order the defendants to pay the cost of litigation.
No date has been fixed for hearing.
The suit was filed shortly after President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to approach the court to unfreeze the Osun State Federal Statutory Allocation Account.
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