Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, has been sentenced to 56 months in a U.S. prison for a $ 4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud, ordered to pay restitution, and forfeit assets
Osun Monarch, Apetu of Ipetumodu, Jailed 56 Months in U.S. for $4.2m COVID-19 Relief Fraud
The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, has been sentenced to 56 months in a United States prison for his role in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
The sentencing was delivered on August 26, 2025, by Judge Christopher A. Boyko of the Northern District of Ohio, following the monarch’s guilty plea in April.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Oba Oloyede conspired with others to fraudulently obtain pandemic relief loans meant for struggling American businesses and workers. Investigators revealed that he diverted the funds to acquire personal assets, including a luxury home in Medina, Ohio.
As part of his punishment, the monarch was ordered to pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution, forfeit his Ohio property and nearly $96,000 in seized funds, and serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
His co-conspirator, Nigerian pastor Edward Oluwasanmi, had earlier been sentenced in July to 27 months in prison for his role in the fraudulent scheme.
The conviction has sent shockwaves across Ipetumodu and Nigeria at large, with many expressing concerns about the reputational damage to traditional rulers.
U.S. authorities noted that the case is part of a broader effort to recover billions of dollars lost to pandemic-related fraud, which has become a global challenge since the rollout of COVID-19 relief programs. Read More
