The ongoing legal battle over control of local government funds in Osun State has reached a new height, as a court ruling issued on Thursday, October 2, 2025, has led to the freezing of 30 accounts by the United Bank for Africa (UBA). These accounts, held by the recently removed All Progressives Congress (APC) council chairmen, are at the centre of a heated dispute involving the newly elected local government leaders.
The legal move came after an urgent injunction was granted by the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, presided over by Justice A. L. Akintola. The court’s intervention, following an ex-parte motion filed by the newly elected council chairmen, specifically instructed UBA to freeze all accounts tied to the disputed funds allocated to the 30 councils in Osun State.
The court’s order, signed by the Principal Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, Mrs. B. O. Somide, mandates that UBA immediately place a ‘Post No Debit’ (PND) lien on these accounts, preventing the release, disbursement, or alteration of any funds. This move is aimed at ensuring the protection of funds that had been deposited by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the statutory allocation for the councils.
Sarafadeen Awotunde and five other elected chairmen from Osun State’s councils filed the suit, arguing that without the court’s immediate intervention, the ousted APC officials could illegally dissipate the funds, leading to irreparable harm to the legitimate administrations.
Olalekan Adeoye, the counsel representing the claimants, emphasised the urgency of the matter, stating that “unless the court intervened urgently, the funds could be dissipated illegally by the ousted APC chairmen, thereby causing irreparable harm to the lawful administrations of the councils.”
Justice Akintola, in agreeing with the claimants’ request, pointed to the potential danger of delay, ruling that “any delay in granting the interim orders might foist irreversible harm on the applicants.”
The court’s injunction adds to the growing legal pressure on the former APC chairmen, who have been seeking to regain access to the disputed funds. The ruling also follows a similar order secured last week by the Osun State Attorney-General, further intensifying the legal confrontations over the control of local government resources in the state.
The hearing for the substantive motion regarding the interlocutory injunction has been adjourned to October 9, 2025. Meanwhile, the 30 accounts affected by the injunction span all local governments in Osun State, including Atakumosa East and Osogbo Local Government Area, with each account specifically listed and blocked from any transactions until further notice.
