•EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede
A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from proceeding with its planned investigation into the finances of the Oyo State government, describing the exercise as speculative and amounting to a fishing expedition.
Justice Nkeonye Maha, who delivered judgment on a suit filed by the Oyo State Government, held that although the EFCC has statutory powers to investigate financial crimes, such powers must be exercised within the confines of the Constitution and the rule of law, reports The Guardian.
The judge ruled that the Commission’s proposed investigation, particularly the demands contained in its June 2, 2025 letter to the Oyo State Accountant-General, was not anchored on any specific allegation and therefore amounted to a speculative inquiry.
Justice Maha further held that the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs to fair hearing could not be undermined under the guise of an investigation.
The Oyo State government had approached the court after receiving a letter from the EFCC requesting copies of all contracts awarded by the state government and details of all payments made to contractors from 2021 to June 2, 2025.
According to the state, it subsequently wrote to the anti-graft agency requesting clarification on the contractors, companies or transactions under investigation to enable it to provide relevant documents. However, the EFCC allegedly failed to respond, prompting the suit.
The state government also defended Makinde’s decision to seek judicial interpretation of EFCC’s request for state financial records, insisting that the governor has nothing to hide.
It said that approaching the court was not an attempt to evade investigation but a constitutional step to clarify the scope of the anti-graft agency’s powers.
In a statement yesterday, Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, dismissed allegations by the APC that the suit was aimed at shielding the administration from scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State yesterday expressed dismay over Makinde’s alleged spirited efforts to prevent the EFCC from examining the records of financial transactions involving his administration in the last seven years, stating that the development was appalling and shameful.
In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the Oyo APC berated Makinde over attempts to prevent the anti-graft agency from carrying out its statutory duty as it concerns investigating how the funds accrued to the state were spent within a specific time, “even when it is an undeniable fact that accountability matters in public administration.”
However, the Oyo State House of Assembly has approved Makinde’s request to proceed on his yearly leave, with the Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, set to oversee the administration of the state during the period.
The leave will commence on August 10 and end on September 11, while the governor is expected to resume official duties on September 14, 2026.
The approval followed the consideration of a letter from Makinde and transmitted to the House in compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires a governor to formally notify the legislature whenever he intends to be absent from office.
The Deputy Speaker, Muhammed Fadeyi, who presided over plenary yesterday in the absence of the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, read the governor’s correspondence before members.
The Assembly subsequently granted the request, clearing the way for Lawal to perform the functions of the governor in an acting capacity throughout the period of Makinde’s leave.
The House, however, expressed confidence that governance and the delivery of public services would continue seamlessly until the governor returns to office on September 14, 2026.
