Tinubu Directs EFCC to Unfreeze Osun State Government Accounts

Huhuonline.com reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unfreeze the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.

The directive was contained in a statement dated August 6, 2026, and personally signed by the President.

In the statement, President Tinubu said he was deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC's decision to carry out its statutory mandate based on a court order, but by the timing of the action. He noted that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the President, even when he has no prior knowledge of them.

The statement reads in part:

"It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government. I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC's exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency's action. This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action."

The President reiterated his administration's commitment to preserving the independence of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, emphasizing that he has consistently refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies.

He stated that strong democratic institutions must be allowed to carry out their statutory responsibilities professionally, impartially, and within the bounds of the law. According to him, agencies of government should be free to perform their duties without requiring prior presidential approval.

While noting that he had not yet been fully briefed on the circumstances that led the EFCC to obtain the court order, President Tinubu expressed concern over the timing of the action, particularly with the Osun State governorship election only days away.

He said no action should create the impression that any federal agency is being used to influence or interfere with the electoral process.

In the interest of preserving public confidence and safeguarding the integrity, credibility, and fairness of Nigeria's democratic process, the President said he had directed the EFCC to immediately approach the court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government's accounts and discontinue all related proceedings.