The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), has stated that no government agency has the constitutional authority to freeze the bank accounts of a state government without obtaining a valid court order.
Osigwe made the remarks while reacting to the reported freezing of the bank accounts of the Osun State Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the NBA President, any decision to freeze the account of an individual, company, or government institution must be backed by sufficient legal grounds and a competent court order. He described any action taken outside this legal process as unconstitutional and an abuse of power.
“If there is a need to freeze the account of a person or government, there is a need to provide a proper legal basis for it and obtain a proper court order,” Osigwe said.
He emphasized that the rule of law must guide every action taken by law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, stressing that constitutional safeguards should not be ignored in the discharge of their duties.
Osigwe’s comments come amid growing public debate over the legality of freezing government accounts and the limits of the powers vested in anti-graft agencies.
The controversy has sparked fresh discussions among legal practitioners and political observers on the balance between fighting corruption and respecting constitutional provisions and due process.
