A traditional ruler from Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, has been sentenced to 56 months in prison by a United States court after being found guilty of defrauding the American government of $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
The monarch, who was convicted following a meticulous investigation by U.S. authorities, was accused of orchestrating a scheme that illegally siphoned pandemic support funds meant for struggling businesses and households during the global crisis.
The shocking conviction has stirred widespread reactions back home in Nigeria, with many expressing disbelief that a custodian of culture and tradition could be entangled in such an international fraud scandal.
U.S. prosecutors described Oloyede’s actions as a “calculated abuse of a global emergency,” stressing that the sentence serves as a deterrent to others attempting to exploit relief programs.
Back in Osun, residents await clarity on what this means for the monarch’s throne, as his conviction abroad casts a long shadow over his royal stool.
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