The Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has accused the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation of plotting to transfer to Abuja a case on seized local government allocations already pending before a Federal High Court in Osogbo.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday at the Osun Government Secretariat, Abere, the state NULGE President, Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, alleged that the AGF’s office had applied for the matter—filed by Osun State Attorney General, Oluwole Jimi-Bada—to be heard urgently during the ongoing vacation by a judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Ogungbangbe questioned the haste, insisting that the Osogbo court, where the case was originally filed, should be allowed to complete its work.
“On May 12, 2025, the Osun State Government filed its case before the Federal High Court, seeking an order to protect these funds for the benefit of the people. The court, in its wisdom, ordered all parties to maintain the status quo.
“Despite this clear order, we were shocked to discover that attempts were made to open accounts for these sacked officials in order to illegally divert allocations. It took public outcry and the ruling of the Court of Appeal on June 13, 2025, to stop this brazen act of impunity,” he said.
The NULGE president expressed concern that the sudden push by the AGF’s office for a speedy trial in Abuja was suspicious.
“Now months later, the 3rd defendant—the Office of the Chief Law Officer of the Federation—has suddenly woken up, crying ‘urgency’ and demanding that this matter be rushed and heard in Abuja during the court vacation. We ask: Why the rush? Why Abuja? Why now?
“This so-called urgency is nothing but self-created. The defendants were served on May 16, 2025, but failed to act. Only the Central Bank filed a late response; the others did nothing. For them to now turn around in August to cry urgency is an insult to justice and due process,” he added.
Ogungbangbe maintained that there was a plot “to use the Abuja vacation court to give through the backdoor what the Court of Appeal has already denied.”
He urged that the case be heard at its originally scheduled time, warning that the AGF’s push for a vacation hearing had raised legitimate fears of powerful interests working to subvert judicial pronouncements.