The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reportedly placed a "Post No Debit" restriction on an Osun State Government account with First Bank, barely 10 days before the state's governorship election.
The affected account is said to be one of the government's salary accounts, a development that has heightened political tension ahead of the August 15 poll.
The action came shortly after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised the alarm over what he described as an alleged plan by the anti-graft agency to freeze the state's accounts as well as those belonging to key government officials.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor condemned the reported move, describing it as an attempt to disrupt government operations in the build-up to the election.
Adeleke argued that the EFCC lacked the legal authority to freeze the state's accounts, insisting that there was no lawful basis for such action.
A government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that the account had already been restricted.
"The account has been frozen by the EFCC. This is no longer speculation. The governor will brief the public shortly on the development," the source said.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had yet to issue an official statement explaining the action, while the reason for the restriction remained unclear.
Source: Vanguard
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