A legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Frank Tietie, has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) does not need prior consultation before freezing bank accounts suspected of being linked to illegal activities.
Tietie made the statement on Friday during an interview on Arise Television while reacting to the EFCC’s freezing of the Osun State Government account shortly before the state’s governorship election.
The development had generated controversy, prompting President Bola Tinubu to direct the anti-graft agency to immediately withdraw the court order that led to the freezing of the account.
Speaking on the matter, Tietie argued that the EFCC acted within its legal powers, stressing that the commission was not required to seek approval or apologise before taking action against suspicious financial transactions.
He said, “The EFCC didn’t need to apologise to anybody, neither did it need to consult anybody before exercising its powers to freeze a particular transaction or bank account, so long as it does not exceed three days.”
The analyst cited provisions of the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering Act, as well as previous Court of Appeal decisions involving the commission’s actions in cases related to Benue State under former Governor Samuel Ortom.
Tietie maintained that restricting the EFCC from acting because of an election period could undermine efforts to prevent financial crimes, including possible terrorist financing.
He added that a responsible anti-corruption agency should be allowed to intervene when public funds are suspected of being diverted for unlawful purposes.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.