The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disclosed that 18 states are currently under investigation over alleged mismanagement of public funds.
EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, made this known during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday while explaining the commission’s restriction of an Osun State Government account.
Uwujaren declined to name the states under investigation, saying disclosure of their identities could jeopardise ongoing investigations.
He said the EFCC’s action against Osun was not an isolated case, noting that the commission had previously restricted an Edo State Government account after detecting suspicious movement of funds.
According to him, the EFCC’s interventions are based on its legal mandate and are not targeted at any particular administration.
On the Osun case, Uwujaren said the commission restricted only the state’s statutory allocation account, while other government accounts remained accessible.
He explained that the EFCC has a 72-hour window to obtain a court order to sustain the restriction or lift it.
Uwujaren cited Section 34 of the EFCC Act and Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2022 as the legal basis for temporarily restricting accounts suspected of suspicious activities.
He also disclosed that the investigation into Osun State began in March 2026, with several state officials already questioned by investigators.
The EFCC spokesperson maintained that the commission’s action was based on information available to its investigators and was not influenced by the forthcoming Osun governorship election.
The disclosure of investigations involving 18 states comes amid controversy over the restriction of Osun State’s account, with the state government and the Nigerian Bar Association questioning the legality of the move.
The EFCC, however, maintains that it is acting within its statutory powers to protect public funds and investigate suspected financial crimes.
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