EFCC get constitutional power to freeze Osun State govment account?

Nigerian anti-corruption body, di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) don explain why dem freeze di account of di govment of Osun State, for di southwest region of di kontri.

Dia explanation on Wednesday come afta di govnor of di state, Ademola Adeleke, call di agency out, and accuse dem say dem wan cripple di activities of di state, just few days bifor di govnorship election wey suppose take place dia on 15 August.

Di EFCC say dem bin don dey investigate di Osun State account sake of say dem suspect some magomago wey dey go on, but dem gatz freeze di account wen dem observe how moni bin move from dia to "different suspicious accounts since 2 August".

According to di letter wey di EFCC write to direct di banks to freeze di Osun State govment account, dem tok say section 38(1) and (2) of di EFCC Act 2004 and section 24 of di Money Laundering Act 2022, give dem di power to take di action.

Wetin di law tok?

Di section 38(1) of di EFCC Act tok say: "Di commission gatz seek and receive information from any pesin, authority, corporation or company witout let or hinderance in respect of offences wey e dey empowered to enforce."

While di subsection (2) make am offence for pesin to prevent di EFCC from carrying out dia duty, or di pesin no gree to comply wit any lawful enquiry or requirements by di EFCC.

Punishment for dis offence na five years in prison or fine of only 20,000 naira, or both.

Dis section of di EFCC Act no tok anytin about weda di commission fit freeze account of a state govment.

Di way Nigeria federation dey operate, states dey semi autonomous and state govnors get immunity under di law.

Also, section 24 of di Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act tok say: "A competent authority fit demand, obtain and inspect di books and records of a financial institution or designated non-financial institution, business and profession to confam weda dem dey comply wit di provisions of dis Act."

Again, dis section no clearly tok say di EFCC or any oda anti-corruption agency get power to freeze di account of a state govment.

However, section six of di EFCC Act wey tok about di functions of di commission, sub section (d) tok say dem go dey responsible for "di adoption of measures to identify, trace, freeze, confiscate or seize proceeds derived from... economic and financial crimes related offences..."

Di Osun State account wey di EFCC say dem seize no be like say e fall for di category wey di law tok about.

Di EFCC also quote section 7(6) of di Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act as one of di laws wey give dem power to do wetin dem do for di Osun State govment account.

Dis na wetin dat section tok: "...Di Unit or di Commission or di authorised representatives gatz place a stop order wey no go pass 72 hours, on any account or transaction if dem discover say such account or transaction dey suspected to be involved for any unlawful act."

Section 7 of dis act put di responsibility on di bank to report to di anti-corruption agency if dem suspect say any transaction no too pure or say di frequency wey money dey take move for dia dey "unjustifiable or unreasonable" or e no get any "economic justification or lawful objective".

E neva dey clear weda na di bank report di transactions to di EFCC.

'E dey illegal' - NBA President

Di president of di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, don chook mouth for dis gbas-gbos between di EFCC and di Osun State govment, and e tok say di move to freeze a state govment account na abuse of power.

"No govment agency or any pesin get di right or di power to restrict withdrawal from di account of any state bicos, first of all, di order fit ground di activities of govment," oga Osigwe tell local tori pipo, Punch.

"If di EFCC know say pipo dey use any particular account for di purpose of fraud, dem fit get court order, but dem no fit make blanket order freezing di accounts of any state."

"Such an order dey unconstitutional and e also violate di powers of di EFCC and e fit amount to abuse of power. Such situation no suppose hapun," e tok.

Osigwe say e go advise make no bank obey dat kain order by di EFCC bicos e no dey legal.

Wetin EFCC, Osun State govment tok

Apart from di statements on Wednesday by di EFCC and di Osun State govment, di two parties don also do more explanation dis Thursday morning about di ongoing issue.

Wilson Uwajuren, one of di tok-tok pipo for EFCC, appear for one TV interview wia e explain say na only one of di Osun State govment accounts dem restrict, no be all of dem.

E tok again say dem do am bicos dem notice some kurukere waka inside di account.

"If we no take dat step and for instance dem move funds from di Osun State govment, I dey sure say di Nigerian public go ask wia EFCC dey wen dem dey move dis accounts. So we gatz take preventive action to preserve di money for di account. E no stop di Osun State govment from running di activities of di state," Uwajuren explain.

Di EFCC tok-tok pesin say section 7(6) of di Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act give dem power to freeze account for 72 hours witout a court order.

However, dat section no specifically tok weda di EFCC need court order or not to freeze bank account for 72 hours.

On di part of di Osun State govment, di Commissioner for Information, Oluomo Alimi, release statement dis Thursday morning wia e deny say any 11 billion naira dey miss from dia account as di EFCC accuse dem.

"E dey sad say di commission go lie to destroy di image of a state to cover up dia illegal action wey don backfire. Dis alibi from di commission na just afterthought and e no fit stand di test of truth for reality and for court of public opinion," Alimi tok.

Govnor Adeleke and im Accord party don accuse di ruling All Progressives Congress say na dem dey use dia control of di federal govment to dey intimidate and harass di Osun State govment in order to comot dem from power and take ova.

Di APC don deny dis accuse and tok say Govnor Adeleke dey frustrated.

For di last govnorship election for 2022, Govnor Adeleke - wey bin dey for di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) - bin defeat Adegboyega Oyetola wey be di sitting Osun State govnor under di APC dat time.

Oyetola now dey serve as di Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, but e don endorse di current APC govnorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji.