By Zainab Bakare
The Osun State Government has denied allegations that ₦11 billion was looted from its accounts, accusing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of pursuing a politically motivated investigation.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government claimed the EFCC froze the state’s accounts to frustrate the payment of palliatives promised to workers.
According to the statement, “The real reason the commission froze the state account… was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers.”
The government said all workers had already received the palliatives despite the account freeze, adding, “Fortunately, we have paid the palliatives to all Osun State workers.”
Rejecting the allegations, the state insisted, “We don’t loot public funds in Osun State; we deliver on public goods and services.” It said available resources had been spent on infrastructure, workers’ welfare and other development projects.
The government also alleged that the EFCC had investigated top officials since March 2026 without finding evidence of wrongdoing, describing the exercise as “a witch-hunting investigation.”
It maintained that if the anti-graft agency had credible evidence, it should follow due process instead of freezing government accounts, concluding that the allegations were “an afterthought” that “cannot stand the test of truth in reality and the court of public opinion.”
