A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has issued arrest warrants against the United Bank for Africa Plc and four of its senior officials over the alleged illegal operation and maintenance of bank accounts in the name of the 30 local government councils in the state.

The case, marked MOS/601c/2025 and filed by the Osun State Government, was heard on Friday in Osogbo.

In a Certified True Copy of the order titled “Warrant for Arrest of Defendant Who Has Disobeyed Summons (General Title – Form No. 1)”, addressed to the Osun State Commissioner of Police, the court stated in part, “Complaint has been made that the defendant(s) did allow unauthorised persons to operate and maintain 30 accounts opened in favour of the 30 Local Government Councils in Osun State with UBA Bank Plc.

“And the defendant(s) were thereupon summoned to appear before the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Osogbo. An oath has been made that the defendant(s) were duly served with the summons but did not appear, and that such complaint is true.

“You are hereby commanded to bring the defendant(s) before the Magistrate’s Court forthwith to answer to the said complaint or be further dealt with according to law.”

The matter has been adjourned to February 10, 2026, for trial.

The defendants in the suit are United Bank for Africa Plc; its Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba; the Company Secretary and Group Legal Adviser, Billy Odum; and the Deputy Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke.

According to the charge sheet, the Osun State Government filed a 31-count charge against the bank and its officials, with each count relating to alleged infractions connected to the opening and operation of bank accounts for the state’s 30 local government councils.

In count one, the prosecution alleged that the defendants, on or about December 9, 2025, and on subsequent days, at Olonkoro, Osogbo branch of the UBA, conspired to commit a felony by opening, operating, and maintaining what it described as illegal Osun State Local Government Council accounts.

The alleged offence, according to the charge is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

The defendants were further accused of allowing the opening, operation, and maintenance of local government accounts “by unknown private individuals as signatories,” despite the Local Government Service Commission having formally introduced Directors of Administration and General Services, as well as Directors of Finance of the councils, as the authorised signatories to the statutory accounts.

The prosecution said the action constituted an offence contrary to Sections 2 and 3(1) and (2), and punishable under Section 5(1) and (2) of the Osun State Local Government Accounts Administration Law, 2025.

Court documents show that the remaining counts similarly relate to the alleged unlawful opening and operation of accounts connected to all 30 local government councils in Osun State.

At the last sitting in December 2025, the Chief Magistrate, Mr A. A. Adeyeba, ordered that the defendants be served through their various email addresses and other substituted means in newspapers. He subsequently adjourned the case to yesterday, January 30, 2026, for hearing. (Saturday PUNCH, but headline reworked)

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