Osun Govt Denies Alleged N11bn Loot, Accuses EFCC of Political Witch-hunt
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
The Osun State Government has denied allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that about N11 billion was looted from its accounts, describing the claim as false and a desperate attempt to justify what it called the unlawful freezing of the state’s accounts.
The government also alleged that the anti-graft agency acted on the directive of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, to frustrate the payment of palliatives approved for civil servants.
The allegations were contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, in Osogbo.
Alimi said the EFCC’s claim that the state’s accounts were frozen over an alleged N11 billion fraud was “a failed attempt to cover up an illegal action through unfounded allegations.”
According to him, the freezing of the accounts was aimed at preventing the state government from paying workers the palliative approved to cushion the effects of the 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 workers some months ago. This account freezing marks the climax of Oyetola and AMBO’s historic anti-workers’ obsession,” Alimi said.
He, however, stated that the government had successfully paid the palliatives to workers despite the action taken by the commission.
“The latest payment of palliatives followed negotiations arising from workers’ requests to cushion the effect of the harsh economic climate. This was not the first time such a cost-of-living subsidy was paid to Osun workers,” he added.
The commissioner further accused the EFCC of carrying out what he described as a politically motivated investigation against the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“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. We don’t loot public funds in Osun State; we deliver public goods and services,” he said.
Alimi maintained that the state government had remained prudent in the management of public resources, insisting that available funds were being committed to infrastructure, workers’ welfare and other developmental projects.
“There is no fund to loot in Osun State as the little resources we have are expended on mega projects, workers’ welfare and sectoral development for the benefit of the people. We reject attempts to tarnish the image of our hardworking governor,” he said.
The commissioner also alleged that the EFCC had been investigating top government officials since March 2026 without establishing any evidence of wrongdoing.
“Government officials are being harassed on a weekly basis, all with the sole aim of distracting them from delivering good governance to the people of Osun State,” he said.
He further argued that the state had earned recognition for transparency in public finance, noting that due legal processes should be followed where there are allegations of financial misconduct.
“Osun has won several awards on budget and auditing transparency. Assuming, without conceding, that the EFCC has any evidence of looting, there are established legal procedures for prosecuting suspects instead of a politically motivated and unlawful freezing of government accounts without recourse to the rule of law,” Alimi stated.
He described the EFCC’s allegation as an afterthought intended to justify what he called an illegal action.
“It is sad that a commission will lie to destroy the image of a state in an attempt to cover up an illegal action that has backfired. This alibi from the commission is an afterthought and cannot stand the test of truth or public scrutiny,” he said.