Osun Govt Awaits U.S. Court Judgment Before Deciding on Monarch’s Fate
Osun Govt Awaits U.S. Court Judgment Before Deciding on Monarch’s Fate
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
The Osun State Government has said it will obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment of a United States court that sentenced the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to prison over a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud.
Oba Oloyede, 62, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the U.S., was on Tuesday, August 26, sentenced to 56 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and repay $4,408,543.38 in restitution. The court further directed the forfeiture of his Medina, Ohio home, purchased with proceeds of the fraud, along with an additional $96,006.89 linked to the scheme.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the monarch led a conspiracy that exploited federal emergency loan programmes designed to assist small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Osun Government Reacts
Speaking on Wednesday, the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dosu Babatunde, stressed that the state would not act based on unverified reports.
“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,” he said.
Babatunde confirmed that the government would obtain the Certified True Copy of the U.S. court judgment before making any decision regarding the monarch’s stool. “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,” he added.
Calm in Ipetumodu
In Ipetumodu, the community remained calm on Wednesday, even as residents quietly discussed the development. Chiefs in the town reportedly held a meeting at the palace to deliberate on the monarch’s fate.
The most senior chief, Sunday Adedeji, urged for peace, saying, “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.”
Fraud Scheme Uncovered
Court records revealed that between April 2020 and February 2022, Oloyede, who worked as a tax preparer and owned five businesses and a nonprofit organisation, conspired with 62-year-old Edward Oluwasanmi of Willoughby, Ohio, to submit fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief loans.
The fraudulent claims targeted the U.S. Paycheck Protection Programme and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan scheme under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, defrauding the government of over $4.2 million.
Oloyede eventually pleaded guilty to six charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property, and filing false tax returns.
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