The Osun State Government has said it will obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by a United States court, which sentenced the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, to prison for multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud.
Oloyede, 62, who holds dual citizenship in Nigeria and the United States, was on Tuesday handed a 56-month jail term by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko. The monarch was also ordered to pay restitution of $4,408,543.38 and to serve three years of supervised release.
He forfeited his Medina, Ohio residence, bought with proceeds of the scheme, and an additional $96,006.89 linked to the fraud.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Oloyede and his associate, Edward Oluwasanmi, 62, of Willoughby, Ohio, submitted falsified applications for COVID-19 relief under the Paycheck Protection Programme and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan scheme between April 2020 and February 2022.
The duo, using multiple business entities and a nonprofit, conspired to defraud the U.S. government of over $4.2m. Court documents show that Oloyede pleaded guilty to six counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Wednesday, the Osun Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Dosu Babatunde, stressed that the state government would not act 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 social media stories to justify such a serious matter,” Babatunde said.
He explained that the government would obtain the court’s judgment before taking further steps.
“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.
In Ipetumodu, calm was observed on Wednesday despite quiet discussions among residents over the development. Palace chiefs reportedly held a meeting to deliberate on the monarch’s fate.
The most senior chief in the community, Sunday Adedeji, when contacted, said, “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.”