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Supreme Court To Decide On Osun LG Funds Case On Tuesday
By Prosper Olayiwola
The Supreme Court will on October 7, 2025, hear a crucial case over the disputed Osun State local government funds, a matter that has triggered multiple court battles and orders freezing council allocations.
Speaking with reporters after the sitting, counsel to the Attorney-General of Osun State, Musibau Adetunmbi, SAN, disclosed: “The crux of the matter is to safeguard the money in issue pending the Supreme Court’s determination on Tuesday, 7 October 2025.
“Our contention is that even those who paid the money knew the matter was already before the court. They should have respected the Supreme Court by holding on to the money. Let the Supreme Court speak, everybody will be happy, but for you to pay just like that is not acceptable.”
Ahead of the hearing, the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on Friday extended its Order of Interim Injunction against the United Bank for Africa (UBA), maintaining a no-debit restriction on 30 bank accounts into which withheld Osun local government allocations were paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Justice Ladiran Akintola, in his ruling, explained that the extension was necessary to allow all parties in the suit No. 1/1149/2025: the Attorney-General of Osun State, the Osun State Local Government Service Commission, and United Bank for Africa Plc to enjoy fair hearing.
While counsel to the UBA Plc was absent, counsel to the court-sacked APC council chairmen, led by Kazeem Gbadamosi, SAN, holding brief for Kunle Adegoke, SAN, attended proceedings after filing fresh applications for joinder and jurisdictional challenge.
But the counsel to the plaintiffs, Adetunmbi, maintained that the ex-APC council chairmen lacked the locus standi, insisting: “The ex-LG chairmen remained strangers to the case since their application for joinder had not yet been decided upon by the court.”
He further explained: “I received the two applications yesterday (Thursday) and today (Friday). I will need time to study them as well as reply on points of law.”
However, Gbadamosi countered, saying his clients were directly affected by the court’s Interim Injunction of 26 September 2025, and argued: “The court has no power in respect of a case in which its jurisdiction is being challenged to extend the order of life span that had expired.”
The court also admitted a further affidavit from Mrs. Aluko Rachael Abidemi, Head of Local Government Administration in Boluwaduro LGA, who alleged attempts by certain individuals to siphon funds despite a subsisting court order.
She revealed that two men, claiming to be chairman and treasurer, had instructed UBA to deduct 15% of allocations and remit to a private law firm, even though one of them “was neither a staff of Boluwaduro Local Government nor its Treasurer.”
On the interim preservation order, Adetunmbi added: “As I earlier informed the court, there is a letter directing that 15% of the withheld funds from March to September — running into billions of naira — should be paid as legal fees to one individual. In what manner? By what procedure? Without this preservation order, the rest of the money would have been gone by now.”
On the joinder application, the Attorney-General stressed: “We are going to oppose the joinder because nothing concerns them with this case.”
There has been contention over the withholding of the local government allocations in Osun State with the state citing bias and illegality on the side of the Nigerian government.
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FCT minister Wike hosts Ambassadors, High Commissioners designate in his official residence(Video)
The Federal Capital Territory FCT minister Nyesom Wike is presently hosting Ambassadors and High Commissioners designate in Abuja official residence.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Bauchi State Accountant General, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, and an unlicensed Bureau de Change operator, Aliyu Abubakar of Jasfad Resources Enterprises, before Justice O. A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The duo were re-arraigned on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, on an amended five-count charge bordering on the conversion of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government and money laundering to the tune of N1,635,270,350.9k (One billion, six hundred and thirty-five million, two hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and fifty naira, nine kobo).
DAILY POST reports that they were earlier arraigned on April 7, 2025, with Jaja as the first defendant, while Abubakar was the second.
However, in the amended charge, marked FHC/ABJCR/101/2025, dated January 5, 2026, and filed on the same date, Abubakar, trading under the name of Jasfad Resources Enterprises, became the first defendant and Jaja the second.
Early in the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed, SAN, informed the court that the prosecution had filed a second amended charge and prayed the court for the defendants to take their plea.
Count two of the charge reads, “That you Aliyu Abubakar (trading under the name and style of “Jasfad Resources Enterprises,” a purported Bureau de Change operator), Sirajo Muhammad Jaja (Accountant General of
Bauchi State), Abubakar Muhammad Hafiz (at large), between 29 October, 2024 and 31st December, 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence to wit: money laundering by converting the sum of One Billion, Two Hundred and Ninety Million, One hundred and Fifty four thousand, Three hundred and Thirty seven Naira, Two kobo (N1, 290,154,337.2) of public funds, belonging to Bauchi State Government which you transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account, domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1018819396 into the bank account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1023444660 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Count three reads; “That you Aliyu Abubakar (trading under the name and style of “Jasfad Resources Enterprises,” a purported Bureau de Change operator), Sirajo Muhammad Jaja (Accountant General of Bauchi State), Abubakar Muhammad Hafiz (at large), Ari Manga (at large), and Muhammad Aminu Bose (at large), between 3rd January, 2025 and 14th March 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence to wit: money laundering by converting the sum of Four hundred and twenty-six million, One hundred and sixteen Thousand, Thirteen Naira, Seven kobo (N426, 116,013.7) of the public funds, belonging to Bauchi State Government which you transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account, domiciled in the United Bank for Africa with account number 1018819396 into bank account of Jasfad Enterprise, domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1023444660 and thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, following which counsel to the first and second defendants, Gordy Uche, SAN, and Chris Uche, SAN, respectively, applied for the defendants to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted by the court, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel.
The first defendant’s counsel further moved a motion challenging the competence of the charge and asked the judge to strike out counts two, three, four and five for allegedly being a duplicity of action and to save the defendants from suffering double jeopardy.
This found support from counsel to the second defendant, Chris Uche, SAN, while it faced opposition from the prosecution counsel.
The court, however, reserved a ruling on the contention until the end of trial, citing Section 395 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
In continuation of the trial, the prosecution called its first witness, Prosecution Witness One (PW1), Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) with 20 years’ experience.
She informed the court that the bank, in February 2025, received a request from the EFCC for details of some of its clients.
“The request asked for the bank statements of Jaspa Resources account, Bauchi State Sub-treasury account and the documents were printed and copies given to EFCC,” she said.
The banker, who said that the documents were certified by her, tendered them through the prosecution, and they were admitted in evidence by the court and marked as exhibits.
Although the defence lawyers raised an objection, they said their objection would be expounded in their written addresses.
Further in her testimony, PW1 narrated to the court how money running into multi-million naira, belonging to Bauchi State, was allegedly moved from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account number: 1018819396 to Jasfad Resources Enterprises account number: 1023444660, domiciled in UBA.
She told the court that on October 29, 2024, there was a debit transfer from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account to Jasfad Resources to the tune of N13,144,500. Also that “On October 29, 2024, we have a debit transfer of 1N7,196,300. On October 30, 2024 there were two debit transfers from Bauchi Sub-treasury account to Jasfad Resources Enterprise, first for N50 million and the second for N7, 321,000,” he said.
The witness further disclosed that there were 18 other instances, on different dates within the period, when transfers were made from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account to Jasfad Resources.
Following the conclusion of PW1’s evidence-in-chief, Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter until 12 May for continuation of trial.
Security operatives have foiled a bandit attack on a community watch and hunters’ base in Sukunkumi village, Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Security sources said the incident occurred around 7:30 pm on March 26, when about 15 heavily armed bandits on motorcycles attempted to overrun the facility.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the sources said security teams quickly moved to the area and engaged the attackers in a gun duel, forcing them to flee into nearby bushes.
The sources added that three motorcycles were recovered at the scene, including two that had earlier been taken from hunters during the clash.
They further stated that a Community Watch member, Yusuf Ibrahim, 30, sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg and was taken to General Hospital Kankia for treatment.
The sources also said patrols and clearance operations have been stepped up in the area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further attacks.
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