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 claim as an attempt to justify what it called the unlawful freezing of its bank accounts.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo, alleged that the accounts were frozen at the instance of former governor Gboyega Oyetola to prevent the payment of palliatives promised to workers.
According to the commissioner, the state had already fulfilled its commitment by paying the palliatives after negotiations with labour unions to help workers cope with the country’s economic hardship.
He stated that the subsidy was not the first of its kind and insisted that the funds were legitimately disbursed to support workers’ welfare.
The government further accused the EFCC of acting on behalf of the Osun APC, alleging that the commission unlawfully froze the state’s accounts while making false claims of misappropriation of ecological and other public funds.
Kolapo maintained that the state’s limited financial resources have been committed to infrastructure projects, workers’ welfare, and sectoral development, leaving no room for the alleged diversion of funds.
He also claimed that the EFCC had been investigating top government officials since March 2026 without uncovering any evidence of wrongdoing, describing the exercise as a politically motivated “witch-hunt” aimed at distracting the administration from governance.
The commissioner argued that Osun has earned recognition for transparency in budgeting and auditing, adding that if the anti-graft agency possessed credible evidence of corruption, it should follow due legal process rather than freezing government accounts.
He concluded that the allegations were an afterthought designed to justify what the state considers an illegal action, insisting that the claims would not withstand legal or public scrutiny.
The statement was issued in response to the EFCC’s 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.
