Breaking: Court Gives Judgment on Planned Investigation of Oyo Govt
- A federal high court in Ibadan ruled on a suit filed by the Oyo state government against the EFCC over a sweeping financial investigation demand
- Justice Nkeonye Maha acknowledged the EFCC's powers to investigate but raised concerns about how the Commission applied those powers in this case
- The EFCC had written to the Oyo state accountant-general in June 2025, requesting details of all contracts and payments made to contractors from 2021 onwards
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Ibadan, Oyo state - The federal high court in Ibadan, Oyo state, has placed a restraint on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), barring it from proceeding with its proposed investigation into the finances of the Oyo state government.
According to Guardian in its report on Wednesday, July 22, Justice Nkeonye Maha delivered the ruling in favour of the Oyo state government, which had filed a suit challenging the legality of the EFCC's demands.
While the judge recognised that the Commission holds statutory powers to investigate financial crimes, she made clear that those powers are not without limits and must be exercised in line with the Constitution and the rule of law, Tribune Online noted.
Source: Facebook
Why Oyo challenged EFCC's request
The dispute traces back to a letter the EFCC sent to the Oyo state accountant-general on June 2, 2025. In that letter, the Commission requested copies of all contracts involving the state government, as well as details of every transaction and payment made to contractors from 2021 up to the date of the letter.
The Oyo state government, represented by its attorney general, Abiodun Aikomo, challenged the request in court, describing it as oppressive, unreasonable, and unduly burdensome given the sheer volume of contracts the state had entered into over that period.
The EFCC, through its counsel I.G. Ojibor, leading S. Adamu, defended the move by citing Section 38 of the EFCC Act (2004), which allows the Commission to demand and receive information from any person, authority, corporation, or company without hindrance. The anti-graft agency argued this provision gave it the authority to conduct a broad review of the state's financial records.
Source: Facebook
Court's ruling against EFCC
Justice Maha rejected that argument. In her judgment, she described the EFCC's proposed inquiry as speculative and a "fishing expedition," finding that it lacked the foundation of specific allegations that would justify such an expansive demand.
The court set aside the EFCC's letter dated June 2, 2025, and ruled that any future request for information from the Commission must be reasonable and linked to a specific offence being investigated under the EFCC Act. The judge also noted that the constitutional right of the plaintiffs to fair hearing could not be overridden under the cover of an investigation.
The verdict draws a distinction between the EFCC's legitimate investigative role and a blanket trawl of government records, clarifying that Section 38 of the Act was never intended to support roving or speculative inquiries.
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EFCC dismisses secret recruitment claims
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the EFCC dismissed a viral social media claim alleging that it is secretly recruiting personnel, describing the information as false.
In a post shared on its official X account, the anti-graft agency warned members of the public against falling for the misinformation.
Source: Legit.ng
