The Osun State Government has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside an ex-parte order freezing the State’s accounts, alleging that Gamji Nigeria Company Limited concealed material facts from the court in obtaining the order.
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The government is also challenging the enforcement of an arbitral award arising from a 2017 contract dispute with the company, which it said was inherited from the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
In an application filed before the Federal High Court on October 2, 2026, the government challenged the September 9 order, contending that it was procured without full disclosure of relevant facts surrounding the dispute.
The government further alleged that the arbitration award Gamji sought to enforce through the Federal High Court was itself characterised by irregularities and is already being challenged before the Lagos State High Court.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government said Gamji failed to disclose to the Federal High Court that Osun had commenced proceedings challenging the validity of the arbitral award.
According to the statement, the government had, since September 1, filed an action before the Lagos State High Court seeking to set aside the award and had also applied for an order suspending its execution pending the determination of the suit.
The government said Gamji and its legal representatives were duly served with the court processes but nevertheless approached the Federal High Court to enforce the award without disclosing the pending proceedings.
It also disputed the reference to a July 2024 arbitral award in connection with the September 9 order, insisting that no arbitral award was made against the state in July 2024.
The government said the only arbitral award against Osun was issued in July 2026 and that the award is currently being challenged before the Lagos State High Court.
It explained that the underlying contractual dispute originated in 2017 during the Oyetola administration following Gamji’s request for a variation of the contract, which was rejected by the state government.
The dispute subsequently proceeded to arbitration over Gamji’s claim that the state was indebted to the company to the tune of $15,982,638.22.
However, the Osun government alleged that the arbitration proceedings were conducted in a manner that denied the state fair hearing and full participation in the process, adding that the alleged irregularities formed part of the grounds of its challenge before the Lagos State High Court.
The government said its latest application before the Federal High Court was aimed at protecting the state’s right to due process and ensuring judicial review of the disputed award.
It added that it would continue to pursue all available legal avenues to secure the vacation of the account-freezing order, while refraining from commenting further on the substantive issues because the matter is currently before the courts.