The Osun State Government has dragged United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and four of its top executives to court over alleged illegal opening of local government accounts. The case, filed at the Chief Magistrate Court, Osogbo, is slated for hearing on January 30, 2026.
The suit, marked Charge No: MOS/601c/2025, names UBA, its Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba, the Company Secretary and Group Legal Adviser, Billy Odum, and Deputy Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke, as defendants.
According to the 31-count charge, each count pertains to alleged infractions involving accounts for the state’s 30 local government councils.
The prosecution alleges that on December 9, 2025, and subsequent dates, the defendants “conspired to commit a felony” by opening, operating, and maintaining accounts without proper statutory authorization at UBA’s Osogbo branch in Olonkoro.
The state government contends that the bank allowed unknown private individuals to act as signatories for the councils’ accounts, bypassing officials introduced by the Local Government Service Commission, including Directors of Administration, General Services, and Finance.
These actions, the charge sheet states, violate Sections 2 and 3 (1) and (2) and are punishable under Section 5(1) and (2) of the Osun State Local Government Accounts Administration Law, 2025.
Further counts mirror these allegations across all 30 local government councils, prompting the government to seek accountability for what it described as unlawful management of local government funds.
At the last court sitting, Chief Magistrate A. A. Adeyeba ordered the defendants to be served via email and other means of substituted service, adjourning the case to January 30 for hearing.
As of press time, UBA had not issued any official response to the charges, and no plea had been entered by the defendants.
The case is expected to attract significant public and legal attention, raising questions about transparency and accountability in local government finances and the role of major commercial banks in safeguarding public funds.
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