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N3.4bn debt: Court blocks Oyo State Govt’s accounts in four banks

Published

3 years ago

March 28, 2023

Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has issued an order attaching funds standing to the credit of Oyo State Government and its agencies in four banks.

Justice A. O. Ebong issued the order while ruling on a motion ex-parte for garnishee order nisi filed by the ex-chairmen and councillors led by Bashorun Majeed, Bosun Ajuwon and Idris Okusesi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the affected banks are First Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Wema Bank and Zenith Bank.

Justice Ebong ordered the banks to show cause why the order nisi should not be made absolute.

The ruling on the motion marked: FCT/HC/BW/M/238/2023, was delivered by the judge on March 2 and a certified true copy (CTC) sighted on Sunday in Abuja.

The funds, according to court filings, are to settle the outstanding balance of N3,374,889,425.60 from the judgment debt owed some former Local Government chairmen and councillors sacked on May 29, 2019 before the end of their tenure by Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

The garnishee proceeding, initiated for the chairmen and councillors by their lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, is in execution of a judgment they got against the governor and six others from the Supreme Court on May 7, 2021.

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The ruling reads: “A garnishee order nisi is hereby granted to attach the judgment debtors’ accounts with garnishees Nos. 1 to 4 in the motion ex-parte, for the purpose of settling the judgment debt outstanding in the sum of N3,374,889,425.60 as awarded by the Supreme Court and conceded by the judgment debtors in Exhibit 11 attached to the applicant’s motion.

“The garnishees (1st to 4th) shall file affidavits and attend court on the next adjourned date to show cause why the order nisi should not be made absolute.

“A copy of this order nisi shall be served on the judgment debtors as required by law. This matter is hereby adjourned to the 4/4/2023 for continuation.”

It was gathered that the judgment creditors have since effected service of copies of the order on the judgment debtors as ordered by the court.

Listed as judgment debtor with the Oyo State Governor are the state’s Attorney General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Accountant General, the House of Assembly, it’s Speaker and the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

The ex-Chairmen and Councillors were elected in the election conducted by OYSIEC on March 12, 2018 for a three-year term.

Upon learning that Makinde, who took office on May 29, 2019 had planned to sacked them, the Chairmen and Councillors sued before the High Court of Oyo State to challenge the constitutionality of Sections 11 and 12 of the Oyo State Local Government Law 2001, which empowered the governor and the House of Assembly to dissolve LG executives in the state.

In its judgment on May 6, 2019 the Oyo State High Court declared Sections 11 and 12 of the state’s Local Government Law 2001 as unconstitutional, on the grounds that it violated Section 7(1) of the Constitution.

Despite the subsistence of the judgment, Makinde sacked the Chairmen and Councillors on May 29, 2019 and subsequently appealed the judgment.

The Court of Appeal, in its judgment on July 15, 2020 set aside the judgment of the High Court, a decision the affected Chairmen and Councillors appealed at the Supreme Court.

In its judgment on May 7, 2021 a five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, allowed the appeal marked: SC/CV/556/2020 and set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal.

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The apex court, which awarded a cost of N20 million against Makinde, ordered that the ex-Chairmen and Councillors, who were unlawfully sacked by the governor, be paid their salaries and allowances from May 29, 2019 to May 11, 2021 when their tenure ought to have expired.

In the lead judgment by Justice Ejembi Eko, the Supreme Court came down hard on Makinde, who it found, acted arbitrarily and undemocratic.

Justice Eko said: “I will not conclude this appeal without commenting on the disturbing ugly face of impunity displayed by the Governor of Oyo State (1st respondent herein) on 29th May, 2019, tantamounting to executive lawlessness, outrightly and vehemently condemned by this court in the case of the Military Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu.”

He noted that, even before appealing the High Court judgment, Makinde on May 29, 2019 “issued imperial directives dissolving all democratically elected local Government Councils in Oyo State in spite of the subsisting judgment of Oyo State High Court in the suit No. 1/347/2017.

“Series of applications were filed by the judgment creditors, the present appellants, to restrain, particularly the 1st respondent (the Governor), from embarking on the self-help designed to contemptuously frustrate the judgment of the High Court.

“He was not dissuaded. He proceeded in his imperial omnipotency to continue in his untrammelled, albeit invidious contemptuous, disregard of subsisting judgment of the High Court.

“It is unthinkable that a democratically elected governor would embark on these unwholesome undemocratic tendencies. These tendencies no doubt endanger democracy and the rule of law. .

“It is almost becoming universal phenomena that the democratically elected Governors have constituted themselves into a specie most dangerous to democracy in this country.

“They disdainfully disregard and disrupt democratically elected Local Government Councils and appoint their lackeys as caretaker committee’s to run affairs of Local Governments,” Justice Eko said.(NAN)

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Mob Kills Injured Motorcycle Rider After AK‑47 Rifles, Ammunition Found in Crash Scene

Published

13 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Niger State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman

Mob Kills Injured Motorcycle Rider After AK‑47 Rifles, Ammunition Found in Crash Scene

A motorcycle accident in Niger State turned deadly when an injured rider was beaten to death by a mob after a sack recovered from the crash scene was found to contain three AK‑47 rifles, six magazines, and 104 rounds of ammunition, police have confirmed. The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, along the Boyi‑Sarki/Toll Gate area in Suleja, as the riders travelled from Tafa in Kaduna State towards Abuja.

According to the Niger State Police Command, two men on a motorcycle collided with a road construction/diversion barrier in a lone accident. One rider died instantly from injuries sustained in the crash, while the second, who was injured, was lynched by a crowd that had gathered under the guise of helping. Both corpses were later taken to the General Hospital morgue in Suleja.

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Police confirmed that a sack belonging to the victims contained three AK‑47 rifles, six magazines, and 104 rounds of live ammunition, raising concerns about illegal firearms trafficking and potential criminal activity along the busy Kaduna‑Abuja corridor.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, condemned the act of jungle justice, stating that the injured rider could have assisted police in tracing the source of the weapons and exposing criminal networks. CP Elleman directed the Area Commander in Suleja to conduct a thorough investigation and arrest the perpetrators. The recovered rifles are currently undergoing ballistic analysis for further investigation.

The Niger State Police Command emphasised that mob justice endangers lives, obstructs investigations, and undermines the rule of law. Authorities called on citizens to report crimes and suspicious activities to law enforcement rather than resorting to violence.

Security analysts warn that incidents like this highlight broader challenges in parts of northern Nigeria, including illegal arms proliferation, mob violence, and the risks of self-help justice. Communities are urged to cooperate with law enforcement to ensure public safety and accountability.

Mob Kills Injured Motorcycle Rider After AK‑47 Rifles, Ammunition Found in Crash Scene

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Police Bust Gang Armoury, Arrest Two Suspects in Delta

Published

14 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Police Bust Gang Armoury, Arrest Two Suspects in Delta

The Delta State Police Command has made a major breakthrough in its fight against armed gangs and violent crime by arresting two suspected armed robbers and uncovering a gang armoury containing locally fabricated firearms and ammunition.

According to the Command, the operation reflects a renewed commitment to dismantle criminal networks, recover illegal weapons, and ensure public safety. Commissioner of Police Aina Adesola stated that the Command “remains resolute in dismantling criminal networks, mopping up illegal firearms, and ensuring that perpetrators of violent crimes are brought to justice.”

The raid followed intelligence-led investigations that led operatives of the Special Assignment Team (CP‑SAT), under ASP Julius Robinson, to a suspected criminal hideout along the Sapele–Warri Road near Adeje Community in the early hours of February 19, 2026. The operation was linked to the interrogation of 25-year-old Dafiaga Timothy from Effurun, allegedly associated with a gang terrorising commuters along the Warri–Sapele axis.

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Police recovered a locally fabricated long gun, a cut-to-size firearm, and a Beretta-style pistol loaded with five rounds of live ammunition, along with ten additional cartridges and a dagger. The Command described the seizure as a major disruption to the operational capability of the gang, while investigations continue to identify other suspects and trace the source of the arsenal.

In a related operation on February 18, 2026, officers from the Area Command in Warri intercepted a tricycle along the Agbarho/Warri Expressway. Two occupants fled, but the driver, Aliyu Sabo, 25, was arrested. A search uncovered a locally fabricated pistol, one live cartridge, one expended cartridge, and several other items, including mobile devices and a bag suspected to be linked to criminal activity. Sabo remains in custody as police work to apprehend his accomplices.

The Delta State Police emphasized that these operations form part of a broader campaign to curb violent crime, illegal firearms proliferation, and gang-related activities across the state. Authorities have urged residents to remain security-conscious and report credible information that could aid ongoing investigations.

The discovery is expected to have a significant impact on reducing armed robberies and cult-related violence, particularly along high-risk corridors such as Sapele–Warri Road and Agbarho/Warri Expressway, which have long been affected by criminal syndicates.

Police Bust Gang Armoury, Arrest Two Suspects in Delta

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Woman Dies in Bandits’ Camp After Family Pays ₦25 Million Ransom

Published

15 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Army headquarters reviews troops combat readiness

Woman Dies in Bandits’ Camp After Family Pays ₦25 Million Ransom

The family of seven abducted residents in Erinmope-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area, Ekiti State, is mourning the death of one of the victims, identified as Hawau Suleiman, who reportedly died in captivity, even after her family paid a ₦25 million ransom for the release of the hostages. Six other abductees were freed following the payment, but the deceased’s remains have not yet been recovered.

The victims were initially kidnapped on January 24, 2026, when armed gunmen stormed the community, abducting five women, including a nursing mother and a pregnant woman. The kidnappers initially demanded a ₦100 million ransom for their release.

Family members first raised ₦10 million and sent two relatives to deliver the money, but the kidnappers rejected the amount and detained the emissaries, increasing the number of captives to seven. After further negotiations, a total of ₦25 million was paid, resulting in the release of six abductees.

One of the freed victims, Muhammad Soliu, who had also been detained as part of the ransom negotiation, recounted the harrowing conditions in captivity. He said the abductees were tied together like goats and forced to trek several kilometres barefoot through dense forests spanning Ekiti, Kwara, and Kogi states.

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Soliu revealed that the deceased, Hawau Suleiman, became too weak to continue the trek and collapsed. “She was exhausted from the long distance we were made to walk. We pleaded with them to allow us carry her, but they threatened to kill us if we stopped. They ordered us to keep moving without looking back. It was the worst experience of my life,” he said.

He added that the pregnant woman among the captives was taken to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention, while locating Suleiman’s remains would be difficult due to the depth and density of the forest where she reportedly died.

Sunday Abutu, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti State, said the command would investigate the incident and provide further details, but no official updates have yet been released regarding the recovery of the deceased.

The ordeal highlights the growing kidnapping crisis in Ekiti and southwestern Nigeria, where families are often forced to pay large ransoms under threats of violence, and victims face life-threatening conditions in captivity. Security analysts continue to warn that ransom payments, while sometimes saving lives, may embolden criminal gangs and perpetuate the cycle of banditry and insecurity.