Court Restricts Osun Accounts Over $13.9m Arbitration Award

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered several commercial banks to place a “Post No Debit” restriction on accounts belonging to the Osun State Government over an unpaid $13.924 million arbitration award in favour of Gamji Nigeria Company Limited.

The interim order, issued by Justice D.E. Osiagor, also covers ₦157.5 million in arbitration fees awarded to the company.

The court order followed an application by Gamji Nigeria Company Limited, which is seeking to preserve the Osun State Government’s funds pending steps to enforce the arbitral award.

The dispute arose from contracts awarded by the Osun State Government to Gamji in June 2017 for the construction of water infrastructure in Ilesa West Local Government Area.

The projects involved the construction of transmission mains, booster pump stations and water reservoirs under a wider water supply and sanitation programme.

According to documents before the court, the projects were initially valued at about $15.98 million and $9.70 million, respectively. Gamji later claimed that design changes and variations increased the contract values.

The company said about 93 per cent of the works had been completed by October 2023 and that the state government issued a Substantial Completion Certificate in November 2024.

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A dispute subsequently developed over issues including extensions of time, variations, price adjustments and additional costs incurred during execution of the projects.

After attempts to resolve the disagreement failed, Gamji commenced arbitration proceedings against the Osun State Government.

The arbitral tribunal eventually delivered its final award on July 24, 2026, directing the state government to pay Gamji $13,924,343.32, alongside ₦157.5 million in reimbursable arbitration fees.

The award also provided for 20 per cent annual interest on the outstanding amount after the specified compliance period.

Gamji told the Federal High Court that the deadline for payment expired on August 24, 2026, without the award being settled.

The company consequently approached the court for an interim order to prevent the state government from dissipating funds that could be required to satisfy the award.

Justice Osiagor subsequently directed the affected banks to place a Post No Debit restriction on the relevant Osun State Government accounts and preserve funds up to the value of the award.

The affected financial institutions include Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Sterling Bank, Union Bank and Wema Bank, among others.

The order is an interim preservation measure and does not amount to a final transfer of the state government’s funds to Gamji. The substantive legal proceedings concerning enforcement of the award remain before the court.

The Federal High Court has adjourned the matter until October 22, 2026, when the relevant applications are expected to be considered.

The latest development is separate from the earlier restriction placed on some Osun State Government accounts in connection with an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation. That restriction was subsequently lifted.

The current case centres on the contractual dispute between the state government and Gamji and the company’s attempt to enforce the $13.9 million arbitration award and associated naira payment.

The court’s decision could have significant financial implications for the Osun State Government if the arbitral award is ultimately enforced.

Court Restricts Osun Accounts Over $13.9m Arbitration Award

‘I Thought I Was Dead’ — Hairstylist’s Daring Escape From Kidnappers After Benin-Ore Ambush

A hairstylist, Elizabeth Arowojolu, has recounted a terrifying ordeal in which she was abducted alongside about 15 other travellers by armed kidnappers on the Benin-Ore Expressway, before making a desperate escape into the darkness.

Arowojolu, who was travelling from Benin to Lagos on September 13 to visit a friend, said the journey turned into a nightmare shortly after passing Ore in Ondo State.

According to her account, the incident occurred at about 5pm near an area identified by local farmers as “Step-down” along the Benin-Ore Expressway.

She said she was scrolling through TikTok and Instagram on her phone when she suddenly heard commotion from vehicles ahead.

Initially, she and other passengers thought armed robbers had stopped the vehicles.

But the situation quickly became clear when armed men surrounded their bus and began threatening the driver.

The driver reportedly locked the door, but one of the attackers smashed the driver’s side mirror and repeatedly beat him while demanding that he open the door.

Unable to withstand the assault, the driver eventually opened the door.

Arowojolu said four attackers were involved. Three allegedly carried guns, while another had a cutlass and a large stick.

Once inside the bus, one of the gunmen fired into the roof and ordered everyone to remain silent.

“I had about three phones and an iPad with me,” she recounted, explaining that she initially believed the attackers were only interested in stealing their belongings.

Sitting towards the rear of the bus, she attempted to hide two of her phones.

However, one of the kidnappers noticed her.

When questioned about what she was hiding, Arowojolu brought out the second phone but was struck on the forehead, close to her eye, with the weapon carried by one of the attackers.

She said she became unconscious but could still hear what was happening around her.

The kidnappers subsequently ordered everyone out of the vehicle and forced them to line up with their hands behind their heads.

According to her, about 12 people from her bus were taken, while occupants of another vehicle were also abducted, bringing the number of victims to about 16.

Before leading them into the bush, the kidnappers reportedly collected their phones and placed them in a large bag.

Unknown to them, Arowojolu had managed to conceal one phone inside her trousers.

The victims were then forced deep into the bush, with two kidnappers walking ahead and two behind them.

Arowojolu said the captives were repeatedly ordered to run faster as the gunmen led them deeper into the bush.

The journey lasted more than two hours as darkness descended.

Eventually, the kidnappers ordered the victims to sit in a circle with their hands behind their heads.

It was at this point that a fellow male victim began secretly signalling to others that they should prepare to escape.

Two of the kidnappers moved away from the group, creating what appeared to be a brief opportunity.

Suddenly, three male victims stood up and ran.

Arowojolu followed them, becoming the only woman among the escapees.

The kidnappers immediately raised the alarm and began shooting into the air while threatening to kill the fleeing victims.

But the escapees refused to stop.

They ran through the darkness, following instructions from one of the men not to run in a straight line.

At one point, four of them were together—three men and Arowojolu—before they became separated in the thick bush.

The survivors continued running until about 6am, when exhaustion forced them to stop and rest.

As daylight emerged, they continued their search for a road or settlement.

By about 9am, they began seeing cassava farms and palm trees, giving them hope that they were approaching a human settlement.

They eventually encountered an elderly farmer and two children.

Although initially frightened because they did not know whether the people were connected to the kidnappers, they explained that they had escaped from an abduction.

The farmer reportedly took them home, gave them water and offered them food.

Arowojolu said she chose a ripe pawpaw instead of the boiled yam offered by a woman at the settlement.

The farmer later directed them towards Narowi Junction, where they could find transportation.

At Narowi, residents listened to their story and offered assistance.

Arowojolu, whose remaining phone had no SIM card, appealed for Wi-Fi access so she could connect to WhatsApp. She also borrowed a phone to contact her family.

Residents eventually helped them find transport.

Arowojolu travelled through Okada before reaching her grandmother’s home in Ugbobazua, Edo State.

She said she later received medical attention for injuries sustained during the ordeal.

The wound on her face remained visible, while her clothes had been torn during the escape after she ran into a stick in the bush.

Reflecting on the experience, Arowojolu said she initially believed the kidnappers might kill the victims or demand a huge ransom.

“I thought they were going to kill us or demand a ransom,” she recalled, describing her thoughts as, “God, I am dead already.”

She said she was particularly grateful that she survived because she feared her family might not have been able to raise millions of naira for her release.

Her family, she said, celebrated her return and even gave testimony in church.

The hairstylist, who marked her birthday on September 29, said she now sees her survival as a second chance at life.

She also used her experience to appeal for greater awareness about kidnapping and the plight of victims who remain trapped in forests while their families have no idea where they are.

Arowojolu said her decision to take the risk and run ultimately saved her life, even though the kidnappers were firing shots and threatening to kill those who attempted to escape.

She expressed concern for the other victims who remained behind, saying she could only imagine what they might still be experiencing.

Her account has again drawn attention to the security challenges faced by motorists and passengers travelling along the Benin-Ore corridor, one of the major routes linking southern Nigerian cities.

‘I Thought I Was Dead’ — Hairstylist’s Daring Escape From Kidnappers After Benin-Ore Ambush

Tension as Kidnappers Threaten to Kill Abducted Oyo Corps Members

The families of 19 prospective corps members from Oyo State abducted in Imo State are facing a ₦950 million ransom demand, with the kidnappers reportedly threatening to kill the victims if the money is not paid.

The victims were travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked their vehicles along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.

The incident occurred on Thursday, October 1, after the buses reportedly left Ibadan the previous day. The travellers had encountered delays on the journey and spent the night in Anambra State before continuing towards Imo.

According to accounts from relatives and the transport company, the attackers emerged from the bush near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, blocked the vehicles and forced some of the passengers into the surrounding bush.

The kidnappers later contacted some of the victims’ families using the abducted persons’ phones and demanded ₦50 million for each victim, bringing the reported ransom demand to ₦950 million.

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The development has heightened anxiety among the victims’ families, particularly after the abductors allegedly issued threats against the captives.

One relative reportedly said a family member was able to see some of the abducted graduates during a video call initiated by the kidnappers. The victims were allegedly seen sitting on the ground in a bush location.

Another family member said one of the abducted prospective corps members managed to send a brief message to a family WhatsApp group before communication was lost.

The affected families have appealed to the Imo State Government, Oyo State Government, Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.

The parents also reportedly sought the intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, after visiting him in Ibadan to seek assistance over the abduction.

The incident has also prompted increased security operations in the area, with security agencies deploying personnel and tactical teams to search for the victims and track the suspected kidnappers.

The Imo State Police Command said 10 people had been rescued following the attack, while efforts were continuing to establish the full number of people still in captivity.

There have been conflicting reports about the number of prospective corps members abducted. While several reports put the figure at 19, some accounts from relatives have referred to 20 victims and a ransom demand of about ₦1 billion. Authorities have continued efforts to establish the precise number of people taken during the attack.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also strengthened the security operation in Imo State, with senior police officers deployed to coordinate efforts aimed at rescuing the remaining victims.

The abduction has renewed concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to NYSC orientation camps, particularly those travelling long distances across states for the mandatory national service programme.

The families are now waiting for the safe return of their relatives as security agencies continue the search for the abducted Oyo corps members.

Tension as Kidnappers Threaten to Kill Abducted Oyo Corps Members