Freezing of Osun account divides legal luminaries

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has filed a N2 billion lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), its Chairman and First Bank Nigeria Limited before a Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the freezing of the state’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account without a prior court order.

Tribune reports that the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1762/2026 and led by Prof. M.T. Adekilekun, SAN, argues the account freeze constitutes “executive lawlessness” and violates constitutional provisions protecting state financial autonomy.

Senior lawyers are divided — one calling the action politically motivated, another noting the timing, though near an election period, doesn’t necessarily invalidate the EFCC’s legal justification. President Tinubu has reportedly ordered the accounts unfrozen.