The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, who was recently sentenced in the United States to over four years’ imprisonment for COVID-19 relief fraud, had previously been convicted in the early 1990s for immigration fraud, court records have revealed.
Oloyede, 62, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the U.S. residing in Medina, Ohio, was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko to 56 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution of $4.4 million. He was also ordered to forfeit his Medina home and fraud proceeds of over $96,000.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Oloyede and his associate, Edward Oluwasanmi, orchestrated a wide-ranging scheme to exploit federal loan programmes under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. They submitted falsified applications through the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), siphoning millions meant for struggling businesses.
But documents obtained by SaharaReporters show that this is not Oloyede’s first conviction. In 1991, he was tried alongside Clifford C. Cooper, a Virginia-based immigration attorney, for filing fraudulent documents to help Nigerians and Ethiopians illegally secure U.S. residency and citizenship.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in a judgment delivered in November 1992 and amended in January 1993, upheld their convictions. Evidence at the time showed Oloyede, then a part-time cab driver in Washington, D.C., sold fake employment and social security records to undocumented migrants, who were then referred to Cooper for legal representation before the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Eight migrants testified against the duo, explaining how they paid between $1,600 and $3,500 each for fabricated papers that enabled them to remain in the U.S. illegally. The appellate court found that the defendants’ actions fell squarely within the ambit of laws designed to deter illegal residency by aiding employment and public benefit access through fraudulent means.
The court also rejected arguments about attorney-client privilege, stressing that communications made in furtherance of fraud were not protected. The convictions were unanimously affirmed by Chief Judge Ervin, Senior Judge Chapman, and District Judge Michael.
Ipetumodu Stool Crisis Deepens
Meanwhile, Oloyede’s conviction in Ohio has triggered a leadership crisis in his hometown of Ipetumodu, Osun State. The community is now divided, with one faction insisting the throne be kept vacant until his return, while another demands immediate installation of a new ruler.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who had remained silent until recently, has directed the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dosu Babatunde, to address the situation promptly. “Take action on the ugly development at Ipetumodu where the king was recently jailed in the United States of America,” the Governor said at Friday’s State Executive Council meeting.
The controversy has left the ancient community in turmoil, raising fresh debates about accountability and integrity in traditional institutions.
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