LG funds seizure: Supreme Court strikes out Osun’s suit against FG
The Supreme Court has struck out the suit by the Government of Osun State challenging the federal government’s withholding of statutory allocations meant for its 30 local government councils since March 2025 on grounds of jurisdiction. In a split decision of six to one, the apex court panel held that the Attorney General of Osun […]
The Supreme Court has struck out the suit by the Government of Osun State challenging the federal government’s withholding of statutory allocations meant for its 30 local government councils since March 2025 on grounds of jurisdiction.
In a split decision of six to one, the apex court panel held that the Attorney General of Osun State has no legal rights to institute the suit on behalf of the local governments as the chairmen, who won the elections are the juristic persons to file the suit in the absence of authority to do so.
However, the panel held that the federal government had no power to withhold the local government’s funds under the Nigerian Constitution 1999.
In the lead judgement, Justice Mohammed Baba Idris said the hands of the federal government was soiled in the bid to seized the LG funds instead of channelling directly to their accounts.
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The panel, which also dismissed the federal government’s contempt against Osun State, noted that they were in more contempt by not releasing the funds.
In a minority judgement, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, disagreed with other justices and delivered a substantive judgement that the federal government’s action in withholding the LG funds breached the constitution.