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COVID-19 Fraud: US Court Jails Pastor As Osun Monarch Forfeits Property

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A United States District Court has sentenced a Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, to 27 months’ imprisonment for COVID-19 relief fund fraud.

His friend, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, also forfeited his property to the US government while awaiting the court judgement slated for August 1.

Oluwasanmi and Oba Oloyede were arrested 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.

Saturday PUNCH had reported that Oluwasanmi and Oloyede pleaded guilty to some of the charges after reaching a guilty plea agreement with the court.

According to court records obtained by our correspondent, Judge Boyko sentenced Oluwasanmi to 27 months’ imprisonment on counts one, 11 and 12 of the indictment on Wednesday, July 2.

The sentences are to be served concurrently.

The court also ordered Oluwasanmi to pay a fine of $15,000, while he is to report himself to the U.S. Marshal Service.

“Supervised release three years on each of counts 1 and 11-12, all such terms to run concurrently, with standard and special conditions.

“As a result of the foregoing offenses, defendants Joseph Oloyede and Edward Oluwasanmi shall forfeit to the United States: all property, real and personal, which constitutes – or is derived from – proceeds traceable to the commission of the wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy offenses; all property constituting, or derived from, proceeds the defendants obtained, directly or indirectly, as the result of the wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy offenses and any and all property, real and personal involved in the money laundering offenses, and any property traceable to such property,” the court said.

Oluwasanmi is to forfeit a commercial property on 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed Friday, August 1, for sentencing of Oloyede, after the monarch also pleaded guilty to counts one and 13 of his charges.

On Monday, April 21, Oba Oloyede, a US-based accountant and information system expert, who was appointed Apetu in July 2019, submitted his guilty plea to the court.

Oba Oloyede and Oluwasanmi were accused of submitting falsified applications for Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loans under the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act between April 2020 and February 2022.

They were also alleged of using fake tax and wage documents to secure funds meant to support struggling businesses during the pandemic.

The US Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by issuing loans to small businesses and non-profit entities experiencing revenue loss due to the pandemic.

The Act also authorised the US Small Business Administration to issue advances or grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses.

Oba Oloyede was accused of using some of his companies, including Available Tax Services Incorporated, Available Financial Corporation, and Available Transportation Company, to defraud the government.

Following the monarch’s disappearance, the Osun State Government had said it would await the outcome of his trial before taking action.

The government also said it would conduct investigations and take steps on the monarch’s disappearance from the palace.

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, on Friday, said nothing had changed yet.

He said, “A person is innocent until a court convicts them. So, we don’t want to jump the gun; let us wait for the court’s pronouncement on the matter.”

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FULL LIST: Breakdown of Nigerian Ambassadors’ Salaries, Allowances Revealed

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BREAKDOWN EMERGES

Nigerian ambassadors’ pay packages have come under renewed attention. Fresh figures revealed that while basic salaries remained modest, allowances significantly boosted overall compensation for diplomats posted abroad

Reports showed that total monthly take-home pay often reached several million naira, reflecting the high costs of overseas postings

According to Salary.com, as of December 2025, the average annual salary for employees at the Nigerian Embassy in the United States stood at $93,909. This translated to an approximate hourly wage of $45.

Salaries at the embassy typically ranged from $82,124 to $107,453 annually, reflecting the diverse roles and levels of experience within the organisation. Reports indicated that pay was influenced by factors such as job role, department, years of service, and location.

Nigerian Ambassador Salary Structure

Rufai Oseni of Arise TV reported that the salary of Nigerian ambassadors was governed by the Consolidated Diplomatic, Consular and Foreign Service Cadre Salary Structure (CONPSS) in the Nigerian public service. Ambassadors usually fell into the highest grade levels, GL 17 or equivalent, with additional allowances for overseas postings.

Based on government budget allocations, salary surveys, and reports on foreign service personnel costs, the basic salary was described as modest by international standards but supplemented by substantial allowances.

Basic Salary of Nigerian Ambassadors Monthly Basic Pay:

Approximately ₦800,000 to ₦1,200,000 (about $485–$727 USD).

Annual Basic Salary: ₦9.6 million to ₦14.4 million (about $5,818–$8,727 USD).

These figures were drawn from the CONPSS scale for top-tier diplomatic officers. Entry-level foreign service officers reportedly earned around ₦300,000–₦500,000 monthly, but ambassadors, being at the top of the career ladder, commanded the upper end.

The figures also aligned with general public sector pay for Grade Level 17 officers, adjusted for inflation and the 2025 minimum wage increase to ₦70,000.

Allowances and Total Compensation

Reports highlighted that basic pay alone did not reflect the full compensation package.

Nigerian ambassadors posted overseas received allowances designed to offset high living expenses, hardship, and representational duties.

Total monthly take-home pay often exceeded ₦2–5 million ($1,212–$3,030 USD), depending on the host country.

The release of estimated salaries shed light on the financial structure of Nigeria’s foreign service. While the basic salary remained modest compared to international standards, allowances ensured that ambassadors were adequately supported in their overseas postings.

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Public Holiday Notice: FG to Declare Work-Free Day in Third Quarter of 2026

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Breaks are the perfect time to have quality time with one’s loved ones and knowing holiday time ahead is crucial for planning holidays, family visits, and experiencing exciting activities.

Holidays, both religious and secular, are declared for a variety of reasons, including celebrating shared history and values, fostering community connections, and providing work-life balance by taking a day off from work.

Many holidays also commemorate important people or historic events. To this end, Legit has noted the forthcoming public holiday, assisting readers in planning effectively.

In Nigeria, there is only one public holiday in the third quarter (July 1 – September 30) of 2026: Eid ul-Mawlid. Eid ul-Mawlid 2026 may be observed on Wednesday, August 26 (tentative date).

Full List of Public Holidays Federal Govt of Nigeria Will Declare in 2026 

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Rampaging soldier pinned me to bathroom door, assaulted me — UNIOSUN female student

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A student of Osun State University, identified simply as Ademola, has narrated how she was assaulted after some some soldiers from the Army Depot, Osogbo  invaded the halls of residence of students of the university.

Ademola, in a video shared by OsunDefenderNG, said the incident occurred while she was alone in her room preparing a meal.

According to her, she initially noticed the presence of soldiers around the area, but believed the situation had calmed down before the officers allegedly returned.

Recall that on Monday evening, some soldiers from the Army Depot, Osogbo, invaded halls of residence occupied by students of Osun State University, assaulted several students and carted away more than 60 mobile phones and other electronic gadgets.

Some female students were also reportedly stripped naked and forced to dance unclad by the soldiers, who were said to be among personnel that participated in the Army Depot’s passing-out parade held last Saturday.

Recounting the incident, she said, “My name is Ademola…, a student of Osun State University. I was in my hostel room cooking when I noticed they (soldiers) were around. After a while everything died down. However, later, we started hearing noise again.

“They started pointing their touch to my room and asked who was there and what were they doing this for. The next thing, they asked me to open my door and I opened the door.

“So, one of them asked how many of us was inside the room and I told him two. I also told him my roommate wasn’t around.”

While her emotions betrayed her, Ademola alleged that one of the soldiers then became physically aggressive.

“Then, he pinned me to my bathroom door, told me I would like it. He also told me not to shout. So, I begged him.

“I had to look for a way to get out of his hold and moved to the door. On moving to the door, I told him to move out. He asked if I wanted him to move out,” she added.

She further alleged that another soldier entered the room and attempted to restrain her.

She narrated, “While on that, his colleague came in and also told me to calm down, that I would love it and that I shouldn’t shout.

“So, when they started moving, I shouted and screamed. After shouting, they both moved out and I had to use force to close the door.”

According to the student, one of her hostel mates later came to check on her after hearing the commotion.

“After closing the door, one of my hostel mates that was there came to knock on my door to check up on me and he left,” she said.

Following the incident, the Depot Nigerian Army, Osogbo, on Tuesday, announced that it had commenced an investigation into allegations of misconduct involving some of its personnel after receiving a complaint from the National Association of Nigerian Students, Southwest Zone D.

The Army said the investigation was intended to establish the facts surrounding the incident and assured that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.

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