Court Freezes Oyo Accounts In 10 Commercial Banks
*Ordered to pay N300, 000 cost
A High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has frozen accounts belonging to the Oyo state government in ten commercial banks across the country.
The order was given in a judgement delivered by the court over N3. 5b debt owed sacked council chairmen, councilors in the state.
The affected bank accounts are domiciled in Zenith Bank, United Bank of Africa, Wema Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, Ecobank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank, Polaris Bank, Jaiz Bank and Union Bank of Nigeria.
The order, given by Justice A. O. Ebong in a case filed by ex-council chiefs in Oyo state, dismissed by Governor Seyi Makinde on May 29, 2019.
The sacked ex council bosses got a N4,874,889,425.60 judgment against the governor and other state officials/agencies, including the Attorney General, Commissioner for Local Government Area, Speaker of the state House of Assembly and the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, in 2021. However, rather than pay the judgement debt, the state only paid N1.5b in 2022, leaving an outstanding balance of M3,424,889,425.60 to which the Court of Appeal added N50m as cost against the governor and other defenders in a judgment on December 8, having dismissed their appeal.
While ruling on the motion No: BW/M/85/2023, Justice Ebong, who adjourned the case till January 5, 2024, ordered the banks to “file affidavits and attend this court on the next adjourned date to show cause why the order should not be made absolute.
He also awarded a N300,000.00 cost against the governor and other respondents, adding that a copy of the order be served on them.
On May 7, 2021, the Supreme Court voided the sack of the elected council chairmen and councilors.
The apex court also gave a similar judgment concerning Katsina state, ordering it to pay the salaries and allowances of the affected ex-council chiefs.
While Katsina paid its judgement debts, Oyo state refused to obey the order.
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