Osun LG Funds: Court Orders Arrest of UBA Senior Executives Over Alleged Unauthorised Accounts—-An Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court has issued a bench warrant against United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and three of its senior executives over their alleged involvement in the opening and operation of unauthorised accounts used to manage local government funds in Osun State.

The court’s action follows allegations that the accounts were operated outside approved financial and administrative frameworks governing council finances.

The bench warrant was issued on Friday, January 30, 2026, following the failure of the bank and the affected executives to appear before the court in a case instituted by the Osun State Government through the Office of the Attorney General. The court subsequently adjourned further hearing in the matter to February 10, 2026.

The charges, filed under charge number MOS/601C/2025, stem from petitions by chairmen of local governments in the state, who alleged that unauthorised accounts were opened to receive and manage statutory allocations meant for the 30 local government councils in Osun State.

According to the prosecution, the accounts were allegedly opened and operated at UBA “to allow unauthorized persons to operate and maintain the accounts,” an action the state government said contravenes existing financial and administrative regulations governing local government funds.

Those listed in the charge alongside UBA Plc are the bank’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Oliver Alawuba; Group Legal Adviser, Mr. Billy Odura; and Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Chukwuma Nweke. The defendants are accused of allowing the opening and operation of what the state government described as “illegal accounts” for Osun State local governments.

The case is unfolding against the backdrop of a prolonged local government crisis in Osun State, following a disputed council election conducted at the tail end of the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. The election was later nullified by the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo.

The Osun State Government has repeatedly maintained that the chairmen produced by the election, which was conducted under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration, were sacked by the court and therefore lack legal standing to occupy council offices or exercise control over local government finances.

Reacting to the issuance of the bench warrant, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, said the matter “revolves around the control of local government funds.”

He stated that the Osun State Government’s position remains that the sacked APC chairmen “are not and should not in any way or manner lay claim to the legitimate occupation of all council areas in Osun State,” adding that the continued occupation of the councils by the opposition party was “illegitimate.”

Alimi expressed confidence in the judiciary, saying the government believes the court will “carry out its constitutionally assigned duties and responsibilities without fear or favour” as the case progresses.

The court subsequently fixed February 10, 2026, for further hearing in the matter, as legal proceedings continue over the control and administration of local government funds in the state.

The development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing political and legal dispute surrounding local government administration in Osun State.

On Wednesday, SaharaReporters reported that lawyers representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed to appear in court, prompting accusations by the state government that the opposition party is deliberately evading judicial scrutiny to prolong the local government crisis.

The suit, filed by the Osun State chapter of the APC at the Federal High Court in Osogbo, seeks judicial backing for what the party describes as a continuation of the tenure of its local government chairmen. However, when the matter came up for hearing on January 28, 2026, none of the party’s listed lawyers — including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) — was present in court.

The court subsequently adjourned the case to March 4, 2026.

Reacting to the development, the Osun State Government described the absence of APC lawyers as an intentional act aimed at frustrating the resolution of the prolonged local government imbroglio.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the government accused the APC of running away from a case it had filed and has been citing as justification for its continued occupation of council secretariats.

Alimi said the party’s conduct confirmed its alleged strategy of delay. He stated, “It is in the public domain that, in order to carry on with their illegality, they claimed they filed a case at the Federal High Court in Osogbo for tenure elongation but today they ran away from the same case.”

He further accused the APC of misrepresenting the nature of the suit, noting that the party had alternated between calling it a request for “tenure elongation” and “tenure determination,” which he described as “clearly bizarre.”

There is a dispute around over N130billion local government funds which the Bola Tinubu’s administration has continued to hold on to.

Court Jails UBA Head of Operations for 40 Years Over Theft Conviction—-The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced the Head of Operations at the United Bank of Africa (UBA), Fredrick Caulker, to a total of forty (40) years’ imprisonment for corruption-related offences involving the misappropriation of public funds.

Delivering judgment at the Main Law Courts Building, Court of Appeal Judge, Honourable Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu, found Caulker guilty on four counts of misappropriation of public funds, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12 of 2008, as amended by the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2019.

The offences related to PAYE and withholding tax payments made by the Small Holder Commercialization Agri-Business Development Project (SCADeP) to the National Revenue Authority

According to the prosecution, the accused, of No. 38A Taylor Street, Wellington, Freetown, abused his position as Head of Operations at UBA by diverting tax payments intended for the NRA into accounts other than the designated NRA accounts, on various dates and in various sums.

During the trial, the prosecution called eight witnesses, including a banker from Commerce Mortgage Bank.

Prosecution Witness Two (PW2), a former subordinate of the accused at UBA, testified that in November 2023 he processed several financial transactions on the instruction of Caulker. He told the court that some of the funds, including amounts of Le. 293,749.80, Le. 169,134.29, Le. 1,291,623.50, and Le. 255,725.81, were originally meant to be paid into NRA accounts but were instead redirected to other accounts following instructions from the accused.

Prosecuting Witness 2 further stated that in one instance, Caulker claimed to have received a call indicating that an initial transfer was a mistake and subsequently instructed that the funds be paid into a different account, providing specific account details.

On count five, which alleged conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, Justice Allieu held that the prosecution failed to establish the essential elements of conspiracy. The accused was therefore acquitted and discharged on that count.

However, on counts one to four, the court found Caulker guilty and sentenced him to ten (10) years’ imprisonment on each count. The judge ordered that the sentences run consecutively, resulting in a cumulative sentence of forty (40) years.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the convict to pay Le. 1,980,233.40 into the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The amount is to be paid within ninety (90) days from the date of the judgmen

Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced the Head of Operations at the United Bank of Africa (UBA), Fredrick Caulker, to a total of forty (40) years’ imprisonment for corruption-related offences involving the misappropriation of public funds.

Source: SierraLeone loaded