The Osun State Government has denied allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that ₦11 billion was looted from the state’s accounts, describing the claims as false and an attempt to justify what it called the unlawful freezing of government accounts.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo, the state government alleged that the accounts were frozen to frustrate the payment of palliatives promised to workers, rather than as part of a legitimate anti-corruption investigation.
The government said workers had already received the agreed cost of living subsidy following negotiations aimed at easing the impact of the country’s economic hardship. It stressed that similar palliative payments had been made in the past.
Rejecting the allegations of financial misconduct, the state maintained that its available resources had been committed to infrastructure projects, workers’ welfare and sectoral development.
The government further accused the EFCC of carrying out a politically motivated investigation since March 2026 without producing evidence against senior officials. It claimed government officials had been subjected to repeated questioning in an effort to distract the administration from governance.
Osun also pointed to its record on budget and audit transparency, arguing that if the EFCC had credible evidence of wrongdoing, it should follow established legal procedures instead of freezing government accounts.
The statement added that the commission’s allegations were an afterthought intended to defend an action that had attracted criticism.
The response follows the EFCC’s earlier explanation that it froze the Osun State Government’s bank accounts to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds ahead of the state’s August 15 governorship election.
