Osun denies ₦11bn looting allegation, accuses EFCC of political witch-hunt

The Osun State Government has denied allegations that about ₦11 billion was misappropriated from its coffers, describing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) claims as baseless and politically motivated.

 

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government alleged that the anti-graft agency froze the state’s account at the instance of former Governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, to frustrate the payment of palliatives to workers.

 

According to the statement, the account restriction was aimed at preventing the state from fulfilling its commitment to workers amid prevailing economic hardship.

 

“The real reason the commission froze the state account on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers some months ago,” the statement said.

 

The government, however, disclosed that the palliative payments had already been made to workers despite the account freeze.

 

Rejecting allegations of financial misconduct, the state insisted that it had not looted public funds and accused the EFCC of pursuing a politically motivated investigation.

 

“We don’t loot public funds in Osun State; we deliver on public goods and services,” the statement read.

 

The government maintained that available resources had been channelled into infrastructure projects, workers’ welfare and other developmental programmes, arguing that there were no funds diverted for personal gain.

 

It further alleged that the EFCC had been investigating senior government officials since March 2026 without uncovering any evidence of wrongdoing, describing the exercise as a “witch-hunt” intended to distract the administration.

 

The state also argued that if the commission possessed credible evidence of corruption, it should follow established legal procedures by prosecuting suspects rather than freezing government accounts.

 

The latest statement comes amid an escalating dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC following the anti-graft agency’s decision to place a Post No Debit restriction on the state’s statutory allocation account over an ongoing investigation into the alleged mismanagement of about ₦11 billion in public funds.