The protracted legal battle over the control of local government allocations in Osun State intensified on Thursday, as the Oyo State High Court directed the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to freeze 30 accounts operated by the sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) council chairmen.

The interim injunction, obtained by the currently elected 30 council chairmen, marked another decisive judicial setback for the ousted APC officials who had been seeking access to the disputed statutory funds.

A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the order, signed by the Principal Registrar of the Court, Mrs. B. O. Somide, was made available to journalists on Friday.

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The ruling, delivered by Justice A. L. Akintola, followed an ex-parte motion filed by the elected council bosses. The court specifically restrained UBA from paying out, releasing, or interfering with any funds deposited in the 30 LGs’ accounts where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had lodged the statutory allocations.

The claimants — led by Sarafadeen Awotunde and five others, representing all the council chairmen and councillors in Osun State — argued that urgent judicial intervention was necessary to protect the funds from being unlawfully accessed.

Counsel to the claimants, Olalekan Adeoye Esq., who filed the suit (Suit No. 1/1167/2025) before Court No. 5, contended 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 his ruling dated October 2, 2025, agreed with the claimants that immediate judicial protection was required.

“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,” the judge stated.

Consequently, the court issued two key directives. The first was an interim injunction restraining UBA from “paying, releasing, disbursing, or tampering with funds in the disputed local government accounts.”

The second was a mandatory injunction ordering UBA to place a “Post No Debit” (PND) lien on all the affected accounts pending the hearing of the substantive motion on notice.

The injunction covers the accounts of all 30 local governments in the state, including Atakumosa East, Ife South, Ilesa East, and Osogbo Local Government Area, each individually listed with its corresponding UBA account number.

This development follows a similar order secured a week earlier by the state Attorney-General against the same accounts, reflecting the ongoing legal tussle over control of the allocations.

Justice Akintola adjourned the hearing of the substantive motion on notice for interlocutory injunction to October 9, 2025.