The Osun State Government has said it will obtain the Certified True Copy of the U.S. court judgment that sentenced the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to prison over COVID-19 loan fraud before taking any action on his stool.
The Osun State Government has announced it will obtain the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the United States court judgment that sentenced the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to prison for a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud.
Oba Oloyede, a 62-year-old dual citizen, was sentenced to 56 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko on Tuesday. He was also ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution and forfeit his Ohio home, purchased with the scheme’s proceeds.
Speaking on Wednesday, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Dosu Babatunde, said the government would not act on social media reports alone.
“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 stated.
He added, “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.”
Meanwhile, calm prevailed in Ipetumodu, though residents discussed the issue quietly. Community chiefs held a meeting at the palace to deliberate on the monarch’s fate. The most senior chief, Sunday Adedeji, said, “May God never allow chaos in our community… There is no crisis in the town.”