Osun LG funds: Court extends account freezing order till Oct 9

…as S-Court hears related lawsuit connected Oct 7

By Adeola Badru

The Oyo State High Court, sitting successful Ibadan, has extended its interim injunction restraining the United Bank for Africa (UBA) from allowing withdrawals from 30 slope accounts into which withheld allocations for Osun State section governments were lodged by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Justice Ladiran Akintola, presiding connected Friday, renewed the bid to guarantee that each parties successful the case, Suit No. 1/1149/2025 betwixt the Attorney-General of Osun State, the Osun State Local Government Service Commission and United Bank for Africa Plc, are granted a just hearing.

While UBA’s counsel was not successful court, elder lawyer Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), appearing for the dismissed APC assembly chairmen, was contiguous aft filing an exertion for joinder.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Musibau Adetunmbi (SAN), opposed the move, noting that helium had lone conscionable received 2 caller applications from the ex-chairmen’s ineligible team, 1 seeking joinder and different challenging the court’s territorial jurisdiction, filed connected Thursday and Friday.

He stressed that helium needed clip to analyse the documents and argued that the erstwhile APC chairmen lacked locus standi until their joinder was formally granted.

“Their exertion has not been decided upon; they stay outsiders to this case,” helium maintained.

Adetunmbi besides pressed the request to widen the interim order, stating, “I received the 2 applications yesterday and today. I indispensable beryllium fixed clip to survey them and record my responses successful law.”

However, counsel to the erstwhile APC chairmen and councillors rejected the proposition that his clients were “strangers”, contending that they were straight affected by the Interim Injunction of 26 September 2025 and had a close to beryllium heard.

In an exertion dated 2 October, 2025, Gbadamosi not lone sought to articulation the suit but besides challenged the jurisdiction of the Oyo State High Court, citing lawsuit instrumentality to reason that a tribunal cannot widen the beingness of an bid erstwhile its jurisdiction is successful dispute.

Further grounds was provided to the tribunal done a supplementary affidavit sworn by Mrs Rachael Abidemi Aluko, Head of Local Government Administration successful Boluwaduro Local Government.

She alleged that immoderate individuals were attempting to misappropriate section authorities funds contempt the court’s subsisting order.

She referred to a letter, undated, sent to UBA by Mr Adebayo Oyekanmi and Mr Lasisi Gbadebo Oyebode, who styled themselves arsenic Chairman and Treasurer of Boluwaduro Local Government.

In the letter, they instructed the slope to deduct 15 per cent of statutory allocations and remit the sum into the relationship of a backstage instrumentality firm.

Mrs Aluko dismissed the missive arsenic illegitimate, pointing retired that neither idiosyncratic was entitled to contented specified directives.

She clarified that Mr Oyebode was not an worker of Boluwaduro Local Government and that the relation of Treasurer does not beryllium successful Osun’s section authorities framework.

She added that nether the 2025 Guidelines for Local Government Administration successful Osun State, lone the Director of Finance and the Director of Administration & General Services are recognised arsenic authorised signatories to section authorities accounts.

Aluko identified the existent officers holding those positions and submitted exhibits confirming their legitimacy.

The plaintiffs reiterated that the substantive question of who the authentic section authorities chairmen are is already earlier the Supreme Court successful Suit No. SC/CV/773/2025.

They cautioned that immoderate premature disbursement of the funds would frustrate the people of justice.

After the proceedings, Adetunmbi (SAN), counsel to the Osun Attorney-General, briefed journalists.

He revealed that a related lawsuit concerning the disputed allocations is fixed for proceeding earlier the Supreme Court connected Tuesday, 7 October, explaining that “the essence of today’s ruling is to unafraid the funds until the Supreme Court gives its verdict adjacent Tuesday.”

“Those who effected the payments knew the lawsuit was pending astatine the Supreme Court; they should person respected the apex tribunal by holding back.”

“Let the Supreme Court present its decision, and everyone volition abide by it. But to disburse successful the meantime is unacceptable. As I earlier pointed retired successful court, determination is simply a missive instructing t...