Community leaders in Ipetumodu, Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State, have issued their first response to the four-year prison sentence handed to their monarch, Oba Joseph Olugbemiga Oloyede, in the United States over fraud charges.
The leaders, speaking under the platform of the Ipetumodu Descendants Progressive Union (IDPU), urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding in the face of the monarch’s ordeal. They explained that the court ruling would be examined carefully at the right time.
Oba Oloyede was convicted in the US after admitting to defrauding the government of more than four million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds. He was ordered to repay the money and surrender his properties to the American authorities.
In a statement signed on Thursday, the 28th of August, 2025, the Union’s National President, Dr. Israel Akinjogbin, reassured citizens that the situation was under control.
He urged members of the community not to let the development affect their lives or daily activities.
Dr. Akinjogbin acknowledged that the conviction came as “an unthinkable” shock to many but emphasized that the legal proceedings abroad should be viewed separately from the peace and order in Ipetumodu.
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The Union further advised residents to uphold the law and avoid any actions that might threaten the harmony of the town, describing Ipetumodu as a community that values peaceful coexistence.
On its part, the Osun State Government announced that it would obtain the Certified True Copy of the US court’s decision before issuing an official response.
The government maintained that it would not rely on unverified social media reports.
Recall that the sentencing of Oba Oloyede was delivered on Tuesday, the 26th of August 2025, by US District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, who imposed 56 months’ imprisonment along with the forfeiture of cash, a house, and other assets.