The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, was on Tuesday sentenced to more than four years in prison in the United States over a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio on Tuesday, the monarch was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution.
Below are the five things to know about him.
1. Background and Nationality
Oba Joseph Oloyede is the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu in Osun State. He holds dual citizenship in Nigeria and the United States, where he resided in Ohio. Apart from his royal status, he also worked as a tax preparer and operated several businesses.
2. Education
Oloyede began his education in Ipetumodu, attending Christ Church II and C & S Modern Commercial Secondary School. He later obtained a National Diploma in Accountancy from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, before earning a Master of Business Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology. He pursued another MBA at the University of Sarasota in Florida, United States, and subsequently received a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Argosy University, Sarasota.
3. Career
He started his career in the financial sector, working with institutions such as First Bank of Nigeria and John Holt Financial Merchant Bank. After relocating to the United States, he continued in banking before moving into academia, where he lectured at Indiana Wesleyan University and the University of Phoenix.
4. Age and Ascension to the Throne
The Osun monarch is 62 years old. He ascended the throne in November 2019, following the death of his predecessor, Oba James Adedokun Adegoke, in November 2017.
5. The Kingdom He Rules
Ipetumodu, in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State, is historically recognised as one of the prominent towns in the state. It also serves as the headquarters of the Ife North local government area.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
