Osun Counsel Claims No Court Order for Account Freeze

On Friday, Prof. Mubarak Adekilekun (SAN), counsel to the Osun State Government, asserted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not serve a court order when it restricted access to the state's statutory allocation account. During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adekilekun explained that the law mandates a court order to be issued and served, particularly to First Bank, before any restriction can occur.

He noted that the EFCC's letter to the bank was forwarded to the state government, but First Bank confirmed that no court order was attached. Adekilekun acknowledged the EFCC's authority to act on suspected financial offences but insisted that such actions must comply with the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which requires a court order.

He dismissed allegations of money laundering, stating that the account only receives allocations from the Federation Account. His comments followed those of Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, who stated that the EFCC could freeze a state account if it obtained a court order within a stipulated timeframe.