The Osun State Government has rejected the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) claim that ₦11 billion was looted from the state’s account, describing the allegation as a failed attempt to cover up what it called the Commission’s illegal freezing of state funds.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo, the state government accused the EFCC of pursuing a “hatchet job” for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State. The statement alleged that the real reason the Commission froze the state account “on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers some months ago”.

According to the Osun Government, the Commission has been conducting what it termed a “witch-hunting investigation” since March 2026 without finding any indicting evidence against top officials. Government officials, the statement claimed, are being harassed on a weekly basis with the aim of distracting them from delivering good governance.

The state maintained that it has already paid palliatives to all Osun workers following negotiations to cushion the effects of the country’s economic challenges. “This was not the first time such a cost of living subsidy was paid to Osun workers,” the statement noted.

Rejecting the EFCC’s allegations, the government said: “We don’t loot public funds in Osun state; we deliver on public goods and services”. It added that available state resources have been allocated to infrastructure, workers’ welfare, and sectoral development. “There is no fund to loot in Osun state as the little resources we have are expended on the many mega projects, workers’ welfare, and sectoral developments for the benefit of the masses”.

The state government also pointed to its track record on financial transparency, stating that “Osun has won several awards on budget and auditing transparency”. It argued that even if the EFCC had any evidence of wrongdoing, there are established procedures for bringing suspects to book, rather than a “politically motivated, unlawful freezing of government accounts without recourse to the rule of law”.

“It is sad that a commission will lie to destroy the image of a state to cover up an illegal action that has backfired,” the statement added. “This alibi from the commission is an afterthought and it cannot stand the test of truth in reality and court of public opinion”.

The explanation from the Osun Government came in response to the EFCC’s earlier statement justifying its decision to freeze the state’s bank accounts, which the anti-graft agency said was taken to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds ahead of the August 15 governorship election.