The Osun State Government has said it will wait for the outcome of Oba Joseph Oloyede’s trial for COVID-19 relief fund fraud before taking action.
It, however, said despite its respect for traditional institutions, investigations would be done and steps taken on the matter.
Oloyede, who is the Apetu of Ipetumode, and a pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, are facing possible prison sentences in the United States after they pleaded guilty to charges of multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud.
The monarch, a US-based accountant and information system expert, was appointed Apetu in July 2019.
He was arrested alongside Oluwasanmi in early 2024 for fraudulently obtaining $4.2m in COVID-19 relief funds.
The two men were charged with 13 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.
They were arraigned before Justice Christopher Boyko of the US District Court of Ohio.
PUNCH Diaspora Tales had exclusively reported the trial of Oloyede while residents of Ipetumodu were at a loss over his disappearance from the community after a trip abroad.
Our correspondent had reported that there was anxiety in the community after the 62-year-old was absent from several important festivals that required his presence.
According to court documents, Oloyede and Oluwasanmi submitted falsified applications for the Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loans under the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act between April 2020 and February 2022, using fake tax and wage documents to secure funds meant to support struggling businesses during the pandemic.
Speaking on the monarch’s disappearance, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the government would set up a committee to investigate the monarch’s disappearance and the fraud allegations.
“The first thing we noticed was that the monarch was not around for quite a long time, and after investigation, it was revealed that he was having problems with the authorities abroad.
“As a government, we have to respect the rights of everybody. After all, he is a monarch; it has to be noted that he was not installed by our government; he was installed by the previous government,” Alimi said.
The commissioner disclosed that the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs would review all findings and make recommendations to the government.
“We are awaiting the court abroad to conclude their processes, then we will collect all relevant documents relating to it, and then through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs review and come up with recommendations on the steps to take.
“We want to allow due process to take its course. Everything will be holistically reviewed, including whether he got government permission to travel, the purpose of his trip, and the sequence of events. Once we receive the report from the US, we will determine the appropriate steps to take,” he said.
The commissioner added that while the government held traditional institutions in high regard, it would not overlook misconduct if established.
Also, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, confirmed that the government was already working to verify the indictment and would act decisively once all facts were established.
“The state government will take steps to investigate him if all the allegations levelled against him turn out to be true. We want to find out the authenticity of the claims,” Babatunde said.
He noted the government’s responsibility to ensure that communities were not left without traditional leadership and assured that proactive measures would be taken to safeguard the interests of the affected community.
“Even though we have not seen the documents, it behooves the government to make enquiries to ensure that the community is not left without a king. Once we confirm that the monarch is indeed facing charges in the US, we will take the necessary action,” he added.(Punch)
