The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has released the Osun State Government accounts that were previously frozen over allegations of possible diversion of public funds.
The accounts, domiciled with First Bank of Nigeria and Zenith Bank, are now functioning, according to a report confirmed on Friday.
The EFCC had on August 5 placed a Post No Debit, PND, order on the accounts as part of an investigation into the alleged handling of about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC.
The commission said the investigation had been ongoing since March 2026.
The freezing of the accounts generated controversy, with critics alleging that the action was politically motivated and intended to weaken Governor Ademola Adeleke ahead of the Osun governorship election.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu subsequently described the EFCC action as embarrassing and directed the commission to lift the restriction.
Adeleke, after being declared winner of the election, also instructed the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, SAN, to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the EFCC over the frozen accounts.
A Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, confirmed that the accounts had been unfrozen.
“The lien has been lifted. EFCC cannot ignore the presidential order. I can confirm to you that it was done immediately,” Ajayi said.
He added that the fact that the Adeleke administration had stopped making the issue a campaign matter indicated that the restriction had been lifted.
An aide to Governor Adeleke, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that the PND order had been vacated.
“The accounts are now functional. That was why Mr Governor directed the Attorney-General to withdraw the suit against EFCC,” the aide said.
Neither the EFCC nor the Osun State Government had issued a detailed public statement on the development as of the time of the report.
The EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, did not respond to calls and messages seeking confirmation, while efforts to reach the Osun State Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, were unsuccessful.
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