By John Dike, Osogbo
An Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo on Friday granted leave to the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to quash a criminal proceeding instituted against the bank at a Magistrate Court in the state capital..
It granted the order on January 30, 2026, in Suit No. HOS/M4/2026, following a motion ex-parte moved before Justice M. O. Agboola of the State High Court.
Despite the subsisting leave granted by the High Court, the Magistrate presiding over the matter, A.A. Adeyeba, who is also a party to the suit, reportedly issued a bench warrant against some officials of UBA on the same day.
Legal observers noted that once leave is granted by a superior court to quash proceedings, the lower court is expected to stay action pending the determination of the substantive application.
However, the Magistrate allegedly proceeded with the issuance of the bench warrant notwithstanding his awareness of the High Court’s ruling.
The Magistrate is also listed as a defendant in another pending matter, Suit No FHC/OS/CS/19/2026, instituted at the Federal High Court by reinstated local government chairmen and councillors challenging the legality of the charge, No. MOS/601C/2025, before the Magistrate Court.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun State chapter, Hon. Samuel Idowu Abiodun, commended the High Court’s decision, describing it as a reaffirmation of the supremacy of the rule of law.
Abiodun condemned the issuance of the bench warrant, describing it as “bizarre and disturbing,” adding that it defies logic for a judicial officer expected to uphold the law to allegedly disregard a subsisting order of a superior court.
According to him, the officials of UBA acted responsibly by approaching the High Court to seek redress over what he described as an illegality being orchestrated at the Magistrate Court.
He therefore urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring that all alleged irregularities are being lawfully challenged in court.
