Osun Government to Seek U.S. Court Judgment Over Jailed Monarch’s Fraud Conviction

The Osun State Government has announced its intention to obtain the Certified True Copy (CTC) of a U.S. court judgment that sentenced the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud.

Oba Oloyede, 62, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko to 56 months in prison. In addition, he is to serve three years of supervised release and pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the traditional ruler also forfeited his Medina, Ohio residence, acquired with proceeds from the fraud, as well as $96,006.89 traced to the criminal scheme.

The court found that between April 2020 and February 2022, Oloyede, who operated as a tax preparer and owned multiple businesses and a nonprofit organisation, conspired with Edward Oluwasanmi, 62, of Willoughby, Ohio, to exploit emergency COVID-19 loan programs.

The fraudulent applications targeted the Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) scheme under the CARES Act, defrauding the U.S. government of over $4.2 million.

Oloyede pleaded guilty to six counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering involving criminally derived funds, and filing false tax returns.

In response to the sentencing, Mr. Dosu Babatunde, Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, told The PUNCH that the state would not act based on unofficial sources.

“While it may be true that the monarch has been convicted and jailed, there is no official record with us. We cannot rely on Facebook posts and stories to justify such a serious matter,” Babatunde said.

He further added:

“We will direct that the Certified True Copy of the judgment be obtained. After studying it, the government will then decide on the next steps.”

Meanwhile, in Ipetumodu, the atmosphere remained calm on Wednesday, though residents were seen discussing the matter quietly. A palace source confirmed that the town’s chiefs met to deliberate on the implications of the conviction.

Chief Sunday Adedeji, the most senior traditional chief in the town, told The PUNCH:

“May God never allow chaos in our community. By the grace of God, He will be in total and complete control. There is no crisis in the town, and we do not envisage any.”

The Osun State Government has yet to make a formal decision regarding the status of Oba Oloyede’s throne, pending official documentation of the U.S. court ruling.