No ₦11bn was looted in Osun, commissioner replies EFCC

Osun State Government has vehemently denied allegations that ₦11 billion was looted from its coffers, characterizing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) reported claims as a "failed attempt to cover up illegal action through unfounded allegations." The state government stated that there was no financial misconduct.

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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.

In a statement released via X, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, asserted that the EFCC froze the state account on the orders of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. The government claims this action was intended to obstruct the payment of palliatives promised to workers. Despite the account freeze, the government confirmed that palliatives have been disbursed to all state workers following negotiations.

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We don’t loot public funds in Osun State; we deliver on public goods and services.

The state government rejected the misappropriation claims, accusing the EFCC of engaging in a politically motivated investigation. "All material facts point to the fact that the commission is pursuing a hatchet job for the Osun APC by illegally freezing the state account and falsely accusing the government of looting ecological and other state funds," the statement read. The government maintained that Osun State prioritizes delivering public goods and services over looting public funds.

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The EFCC has been conducting a witch-hunting investigation since March, 2026, without any indicting evidence against top officials.

Furthermore, the government alleged that the EFCC has been conducting a "witch-hunting investigation" since March 2026 without finding evidence of wrongdoing against top officials. The statement suggested that officials have faced weekly harassment aimed at disrupting their governance efforts. The state argued that if the EFCC possessed credible evidence, it should follow established due process rather than unlawfully freezing government accounts.

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Assuming but not conceding that the EFCC has any evidence of looting as posited, there are established procedures for bringing suspects to book instead of a politically motivated, unlawful freezing of government accounts without recourse to the rule of law.