The Osun State Government has dismissed allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that it froze the state’s bank accounts over the alleged looting of ₦11 billion.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Osogbo, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, described the EFCC’s explanation as an attempt to justify what he called an unlawful action.

The state government said the anti-graft agency’s claim was unfounded and merely an afterthought aimed at defending the freezing of its accounts.

According to Alimi, the accounts were frozen to stop the payment of palliatives approved for civil servants, alleging that the action was carried out on the orders of former Osun State Governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

“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. This account freezing marks the climax of Oyetola’s historic anti-workers’ obsession,” he said.

The commissioner noted that despite the account freeze, the state government successfully paid the palliatives after negotiations with labour unions to cushion the effects of economic hardship.

Alimi also rejected the allegation that public funds had been diverted, insisting that the state’s resources were being spent on infrastructure, workers’ welfare and other development projects.

“There is no fund to loot in Osun State as the little resources we have are expended on the many mega projects, workers’ welfare and sectoral developments for the benefit of the masses,” he added.

He further accused the EFCC of conducting a politically motivated investigation since March 2026, alleging that senior government officials had been repeatedly invited and harassed without any evidence of wrongdoing.

“It is sad that a commission will lie to destroy the image of a state to cover up an illegal action that has backfired. This alibi from the commission is an afterthought and it cannot stand the test of truth in reality and court of public opinion,” Alimi said.

The EFCC had earlier stated that it froze the Osun State Government’s accounts as a preventive measure while investigating alleged financial transactions involving about ₦11 billion. The commission maintained that the action was lawful, necessary to preserve funds pending the outcome of its investigation, and was not politically motivated.

Following the development, the Osun State Government has filed a suit challenging the freezing of its accounts, describing the action as unlawful and seeking judicial intervention. It argued that if the EFCC has credible evidence of financial misconduct, it should prosecute those responsible rather than freeze the state’s accounts.