Osun State government has initiated a criminal charge against United Bank for Africa (UBA) its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Oliver Alawuba, the bank’s Secretary and Group Legal Adviser, Mr. Billy Odum, and Mr. Chukwuma Nweke, the bank’s Deputy Managing Director, before an Osogbo Chief Magistrate’s Court, Osun State capital, over the state’s local government funds.
UBA Plc and its officials are charged on an alleged 31 count-charge of infractions involving opening of bank accounts for the state’s 30 local government councils, in a marked MOS/601c/2025.
In the count One, Osun State government alleged that the UBA Plc and its officials on or about December 9, 2025, and on subsequent days, at UBA’s Osun State branch office located in the Olonkoro Area of Osogbo, conspired to commit felony by opening, operating and maintaining what it described as illegal Osun State Local Government Council accounts.
They were specifically accused of allowing the opening, operation and maintenance of accounts for each of the local government councils “by unknown private individuals as signatories” after the Local Government Service Commission had introduced to the defendants, Directors of Administration and General Services, and Directors of Finance of all the local governments as signatories to the councils’ statutory accounts.
Court documents indicate that the remaining counts similarly relate to the alleged opening and operation of accounts connected to all the 30 local government councils in Osun State, actions which the state government contended were carried out unlawfully.
The alleged offence, according to the charge occurred within the Osogbo Magisterial District and 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. And Sections 2 and 3 (1) and (2), and punishable under section 5(1) and (2) of Osun State Local Government Accounts Administration Law, 2025.”
At the last hearing of the charge, the Chief Magistrate, A. A. Adeyeba, ordered that the defendants be served by their various email addresses and other means of substituted service.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to January 30, 2026, for hearing.
At the time of filing this report, no plea had been taken from the defendants, and UBA had yet to issue an official public response to the charges.
The case is expected to attract significant public and legal interest, given its implications for local government finances and the involvement of one of Nigeria’s major commercial banks.
