Court Blocks EFCC Investigation Into Oyo State Finances

A Federal High Court in Ibadan restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from proceeding with a broad investigation into the finances of the Oyo State Government. Justice Nkeonye Maha ruled that the agency's June 2, 2025, request for all contract records and payment details from 2021 onward was speculative and amounted to a fishing expedition.

The court found that the EFCC's demands lacked specific allegations of wrongdoing and violated the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs to a fair hearing. While the judge acknowledged the agency's statutory powers under the EFCC Act, she asserted that these powers must be exercised within constitutional limits and cannot justify indiscriminate inquiries without credible evidence of an offense.

The Oyo State Government, represented by Attorney-General Abiodun Aikomo, initiated the suit after the agency failed to specify which contractors or companies were under investigation. The administration defended the legal action as a safeguard against unlawful access to state records. This ruling deviates from a 2024 Supreme Court decision that affirmed the authority of federal anti-corruption agencies to investigate crimes at both state and federal levels.

Following the verdict, the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress condemned Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, accusing him of treating the state as a personal estate and attempting to avoid accountability for public funds spent over the last seven years.