The Osun State Government has approached the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking to set aside an ex-parte order freezing the state’s account
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, said the order was allegedly procured through “deceit and concealment of material facts” by Gamji Nigeria Company Limited
The application seeking to set aside the order was filed before the Federal High Court on October 2, 2026
In a statement issued on Sunday, Alimi said the order was a product of “deceit and substantial non-disclosure of material facts to the court”
He added that the arbitration award the order sought to enforce was also fraught with several irregularities, which had prompted the state government’s legal team to approach the Lagos State High Court to set aside the award
He said, “In fact, it was reported that the purported award which the ex-parte order of September 9, 2026 referenced does not exist, as there was no arbitral award made against the state government in July 2024
“The only arbitral award against the state government was made in July 2026, and the said award is presently being challenged before the Lagos State High Court by the state government’s legal team”
Narrating the history of the case, the statement said the contract dispute dated back to 2017 under the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, which rejected a variation request by Gamji
The dispute, it said, centred on whether the Osun State Government was indebted to Gamji Nigeria Company to the tune of $15,982,63822.
According to the state government, the matter subsequently proceeded to arbitration, which it alleged was “deliberately mismanaged and handled to favour Gamji Nig Co. Ltd.”, thereby denying the state government a fair hearing and full participation in the process.
“The irregularities that characterised the arbitration proceedings and the Final Arbitral Award are matters which have been submitted by the State Government to the High Court sitting in Lagos State,” Alimi said
He said counsel to the state government had filed a suit seeking to set aside the arbitral award at the Lagos State High Court on September 1, 2026, before Gamji approached the Federal High Court to “deceitfully procure an ex-parte order”
“Alongside the originating motion used to commence the suit in Lagos State, a motion on notice was equally filed to suspend the execution of the Award until the suit is heard and determined
“Both the originating motion and the motion on notice were duly served on Gamji and its counsel; as such, they were fully aware that the award was being challenged by the state government
“To the greatest chagrin of the Osun State Government and its legal team, Gamji Nig Co. Ltd., despite being in receipt of the originating motion and motion on notice filed before the Lagos State High Court to suspend execution of the Award, approached the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State to enforce the Award,” he said.