The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, who recently admitted guilt in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud scandal that affected both Nigeria and the U.S., has pleaded with an American court for leniency.
In a sentencing memorandum filed on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, before Judge Christopher Boyko of the Northern District of Ohio, the king, via his legal team, accepted his guilt but stated that the coronavirus pandemic was the reason he was forced into committing the crime.
“COVID-19 affected all of us differently. Conduct that we would never expect from ourselves or others sometimes manifested itself as we encountered a completely different society. COVID-19 is not an excuse. But it is a factor. Particularly when, as did Joseph, one had to worry that pre-existing health problems could now become fatal if the virus was contracted,” the document quoted his lawyer as saying.
62-year-old Oba Joseph Oloyede was arrested by the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in May 2024 after he fled Nigeria 2 months earlier, sparking concerns in his hometown due to his absence during key traditional festivals, including Odun Egungun and Odun Edi.
Recall that the Gazette had earlier revealed that he was apprehended in Cleveland on charges of 6 companies to file fraudulent loan applications under the U.S. Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loan schemes.
According to court filings, the monarch, who travelled to the U.S in the late 1990s, had maintained a clean record by working as a professor and banker in America before coming back in Nigeria to be named the Apetu of Ipetumodu in July 2019.
His legal team revealed that the fraud was an unfortunate turn from his upright life, noting that Oba Oloyede has since shown remorse and acknowledged his wrongdoing.
After his arrest, U.S. prosecutors disclosed that the Nigerian laundered part of the proceeds via personal and business accounts, prompting the government to seize his Medina County property in Ohio and over $96,000 from one of his company’s bank accounts.
Oloyede was eventually granted bail after giving up both his U.S. and Nigerian passports, but stayed under specific restrictions pending final judgment.
The king, who has 6 kids and is the foster parent to many other children, is presently facing sentencing scheduled for August 26, 2025, after the court pushed the initial date of his hearing forward to review his medical records.
Meanwhile, his lengthy absence from Osun State has left Ipetumodu with a vacant throne, raising questions about plans to move the kingdom forward with or without him.
