Court Blocks UBA From Releasing Osun LG Funds Amid Legal Dispute
An Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has ordered the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to freeze 30 local government accounts belonging to Osun councils, pending resolution of a heated dispute over statutory allocations.
Justice A. L. Akintola, ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by elected Osun council chairmen, directed the bank to place a “Post No Debit” restriction on the affected accounts.
The interim order, issued on October 2, prevents any payments, withdrawals, or tampering with the funds controversially lodged in the accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The claimants, led by Sarafadeen Awotunde and five others, argued that without immediate intervention, the ousted All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen could dissipate the money, inflicting irreversible harm on the Peoples Democratic Party-led councils.
“Having carefully considered the applicants’ motion and supporting affidavits, the court is satisfied that urgent intervention is necessary, as any delay might foist irreversible harm on the claimants,” Justice Akintola ruled.
The accounts listed in the order cover all 30 councils across Osun, including Atakumosa East and Osogbo Local Government Areas. The case, filed as Suit No. 1/1167/2025, was moved by the claimants’ counsel, Olalekan Adeoye (Esq).
Justice Akintola adjourned hearing on the substantive motion for interlocutory injunction to Thursday, October 9, 2025.
The ruling marks the second major judicial freeze on Osun’s local government funds in less than two weeks.
The Osun State Government had earlier secured a similar injunction in a separate suit filed by the Attorney-General, escalating the standoff between sacked APC chairmen and the newly elected PDP council executives.
