Oyo Governor Makinde Secures Court Order Halting EFCC Contract Probe

The Federal High Court in Ibadan issued an injunction preventing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from demanding all Oyo State contracts and payment records dating from 2021 to 2025. The court ruled that the EFCC’s request was an unconstitutional "fishing expedition" because it was not tied to specific allegations of wrongdoing. Governor Seyi Makinde and his administration said the ruling protects the state from arbitrary federal overreach and that they are willing to provide documents once the commission identifies particular contractors or transactions under suspicion.

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) criticised Makinde for securing the order, alleging it undermines transparency and accountability. Makinde also claimed that an unnamed APC chieftain warned him against contesting the 2027 presidential election and that the EFCC’s request arrived a day after the warning. He said the commission did not respond to the state’s request for clarification, prompting the legal challenge. The judge affirmed the EFCC’s constitutional investigative powers but stressed they must be exercised within the limits of the law.