Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has directed the state Attorney-General to institute legal proceedings against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the restriction placed on an Osun State Government bank account domiciled with First Bank.

Adeleke gave the directive after the state government reportedly received a letter from its bank on Monday morning forwarding an instruction from the EFCC placing a “Post No Debit” restriction on the account, thereby preventing withdrawals from it.

Addressing journalists at the Government House, Osogbo, on Wednesday, the governor described the action as illegal, a breach of the rule of law and a threat to democratic governance, insisting that it was carried out without any court order.

“This action was taken without any court order. We are supposed to be in a democracy, where the rule of law must always prevail,” Adeleke said.

He demanded that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, publicly explain to the people of Osun State and Nigerians why the account was frozen and provide evidence to justify the commission’s action.

“All I ask is for the EFCC chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and Nigerians in general why he froze the Osun State Government account and provide evidence to support whatever reason he presents,” the governor said.

Adeleke said the affected account is used for the payment of salaries to workers in the state, warning that the restriction could disrupt government operations and affect the welfare of civil servants.

The governor alleged that the freezing of the account was part of a wider pattern of intimidation against Osun State and its people ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

According to him, other actions allegedly being taken against the state include the “deliberate paralysis of the local government system” and the “daily harassment and arrests of Accord members.”

He alleged that more than 60 Accord members had been arrested and taken to Abuja without charges, while several others had been killed.

“This and all other illegalities being visited on Osun State are turning our democracy into a huge joke,” Adeleke said.

He called on Nigerians and residents of Osun State to pay close attention to the development, describing it as a matter of serious public concern.

The governor said he had instructed the Attorney-General of Osun State to approach the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo to challenge the EFCC’s action and seek appropriate legal remedies.

“We will not accept a situation where federal agencies trample on the constitutional rights of subnational governments,” Adeleke added.

The development came barely a day after the governor raised the alarm over what he described as credible reports that the EFCC had concluded plans to freeze all Osun State Government accounts ahead of the governorship election.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke had alleged that the anti-graft agency was planning to restrict all state government accounts, a claim he described as unlawful and politically motivated.

As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had yet to publicly disclose the legal or investigative basis for placing the Osun State Government account under the “Post No Debit” restriction.

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