*A United States District Court sentences Oba Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, in Osun State of Nigeria, to over four years in an American prison for stealing millions of Dollars from emergency COVID-19 relief programmes in the American country

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

For misapplication of the United States (US) Government’s funds dedicated to supporting businesses in distress in the heat of COVID-19 pandemic, Oba Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, in Osun State of Nigeria, has been sentenced to over four years in an American prison.

绿帽献妻 reports a US District Court Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Oba Oloyede jailed for stealing millions of Dollars from emergency COVID-19 relief programmes in the US.

District Judge Christopher Boyko handed the 62-year-old Apetu of Ipetumodu, who holds both American and Nigerian citizenship and lives in Medina, Ohio, United States, a 56-month jail term for his role in what prosecutors called a sophisticated fraud scheme targeting pandemic assistance funds in the country.

The court affirmed that Oba Oloyede masterminded a conspiracy to exploit emergency loan programmes, designed to help struggling businesses during the Coronavirus crisis.

Judge Boyko also ordered the accused person to pay $4.4 million in restitution, surrender his home in Medina, and hand over nearly $100,000 in stolen money that had already been seized.

Besides, Oloyede must also serve three years of supervised release after his imprisonment.

Court: How Oba Oloyede, others defrauded US Government

In regard to how the convicted monarch’s scheme worked, court papers revealed that between April 2020 and February 2022, Oloyede worked with an accomplice, Edward Oluwasanmi, to submit fake applications to two major US government relief programmes, report noted.

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The pair specifically, targeted the Small Business Administration鈥檚 Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) schemes, both created under the CARES Act to provide emergency funding during the pandemic.

The Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loan schemes were among the largest government relief efforts in US history.

They provide hundreds of billions in emergency funding to businesses affected by COVID-19 lockdowns and economic disruption.

US prosecutors further disclosed that Oloyede ran several businesses and a charity organisation, which he used as fronts and conduits to channel fraudulent loan requests through the system.

The Apetu of Ipetumodu as well submitted applications using the names of some of his tax clients, secretly taking a 15鈥�20 percent cut of any money awarded without declaring this income to tax authorities.

Oloyede blew COVID-19 fraud proceeds, says prosecutors

The US Federal investigators discovered that Oba Oloyede successfully, obtained approvals for 38 fraudulent applications worth $4.2 million in government funds that were meant for legitimate businesses struggling during the devastating pandemic.

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However, instead of utilising the secured funds for business purposes as required, court documents indicated that the Osun monarch spent portions of the stolen funds to buy land, build a home, and purchase a luxury vehicle.

Earlier, Oluwasanmi, his partner in the scheme, had received a lighter sentence of 27 months in prison July this year.

The court equally ordered him to repay $1.2 million and forfeit property plus over $600,000 held in various bank accounts.

The case formed part of a wider crackdown on pandemic fraud by US authorities, according to report.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and IRS Criminal Investigations, and the Department of Transportation鈥檚 Office of Inspector General, working under the US Pandemic Response Accountability Committee鈥檚 Fraud Task Force, jointly carried out the investigation into the infractions that nailed both Oba Oloyede and Oluwasanmi, his accomplice.