The legal tussle over the control of local government allocations in Osun State has intensified, following a fresh court order directing the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to freeze 30 accounts linked to the court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) council bosses.
The interim injunction, granted on Thursday, October 2, 2025, by the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, came after an ex-parte application filed by the 30 currently elected council chairmen, dealing yet another judicial blow to the former APC officials seeking access to the disputed statutory funds.
The order, issued by Justice A. L. Akintola, specifically restrains UBA from paying, releasing, or tampering with funds deposited in the 30 local government accounts where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had lodged the contested allocations.
The claimants — including Sarafadeen Awotunde and five others, representing all 30 council chairmen and councillors in Osun State — argued that immediate judicial protection was necessary to prevent the funds from being unlawfully accessed or misused.
Counsel to the claimants, Olalekan Adeoye, Esq., who moved the suit (Suit No. 1/1167/2025) before Court No. 5, said:
“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.”
Agreeing with the applicants, Justice Akintola held that the case required swift judicial intervention.
In his ruling dated October 2, 2025, the judge stated: “Having carefully considered the claimants/applicants’ motion ex-parte together with the supporting affidavits and exhibits, this court is satisfied that the claimants/applicants have successfully made out a case for urgent and timely intervention, as any delay in granting the interim orders might foist irreversible harm on them.”
Consequently, the court issued two principal directives.
The first was an order of interim injunction restraining UBA from “paying, releasing, disbursing, or tampering with funds in the disputed local government accounts.”
The second was an order of mandatory injunction directing UBA to place a “Post No Debit” (PND) restriction on the affected accounts pending the hearing of the substantive motion on notice.
The 30 frozen accounts cover all local government areas in Osun State — from Atakumosa East to Osogbo Local Government Area — each individually listed with its corresponding UBA account number.
This latest development comes barely a week after a similar injunction was obtained by the Osun State Attorney-General against the same accounts.
Justice Akintola adjourned the hearing of the substantive motion on notice for interlocutory injunction to October 9, 2025.