The Osun State Government has dismissed allegations that ₦11 billion was looted from its coffers, insisting the claims are false and aimed at justifying the freezing of one of its bank accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement released on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, accused the anti-graft agency of acting for political reasons rather than pursuing justice.
According to Alimi, the account was frozen at the instance of former Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, with the intention of preventing the Adeleke administration from paying palliatives promised to state workers.
He said the government eventually fulfilled its promise by paying the palliatives after engaging relevant stakeholders, adding that the financial support formed part of measures to cushion the effects of the country’s economic hardship.
The commissioner rejected allegations of financial misappropriation, maintaining that the Adeleke administration has remained committed to transparency and responsible management of public resources.
Alimi argued that the state has no excess funds to embezzle because available resources are being channelled into infrastructure projects, workers’ welfare, and other developmental programmes across various sectors.
He also accused the EFCC of conducting what he described as a politically motivated investigation against senior officials of the state government since March 2026 without producing any evidence of wrongdoing.
According to him, top government officials have repeatedly been invited for questioning in what he called an attempt to distract the administration from delivering governance to the people.
The Osun government further maintained that if the EFCC truly possesses evidence of corruption, the agency should follow established legal procedures by prosecuting suspects in court instead of freezing government accounts.
Describing the allegations as an afterthought, the state government insisted the claims were designed to justify an action it believes was unlawful.
It added that the accusations would not withstand legal scrutiny or public examination, reaffirming that the Adeleke administration remains focused on delivering projects and improving the welfare of residents rather than engaging in financial misconduct.
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