Apetu’s Conviction: Osun Govt Reveals Next Move
The Osun State Government on Wednesday 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.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the 62-year-old dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States was on Tuesday sentenced to 56 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko.
He was also ordered the monarch to pay $4.2 million in restitution and another $195,000 to the IRS for filing a false tax return.
Justice Boyko also ordered Oloyede to forfeit $96,000 in money seized from his bank account and his home on Foote Road that he bought in 2021 for $130,000.
Oba Oloyede, a US-based accountant and information system expert, was appointed the new Apetu in July 2019.
The monarch was arrested alongside a
Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi in early 2024 for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently obtain $4.2m in COVID-19 relief funds.
The two men were charged with 13 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.
Speaking with a journalist on Wednesday, the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Dosu Babatunde, said the government would not act based on social media 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.
He added that the government would obtain the CTC of the judgment before making any decision regarding the 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,” Babatunde stated
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
