In what would appear to signpost the unabated impairment of the moral value system in the Nigerian society, yet another citizen has, in a sense, put the country in the eye of the storm on account of his alleged fraudulent activities in the United States. This development is not assuaged by the fact that the suspect, who has been in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) since 2024, is a prominent traditional ruler in Osun State. The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. He is accused of defrauding the US government to the tune of $4.2 million. He was said to have presented fake documents for his businesses and those of others in order to benefit from the US government loan support to struggling businesses in the aftermath of COVID-19.
It is important to note that the Oba also took fees from the owners of the businesses he allegedly rendered criminal services to, meaning that his entire motive for the scheme was filthy lucre. He was accused of not only collecting loans for which his businesses, if they existed, were not qualified, but also allegedly took cuts from the loans taken by businesses which he aided to gain fraudulent access. For any ordinary citizen, Oba Oloyede’s larcenous action is outrageous but for someone of the stature of a traditional ruler, it is simply abominable. And worse still, the US authorities found that Oba Oloyede applied the loan to defray personal expenses even though it was specifically earmarked for payment of fixed debts, payroll and other permissible bills!
Sadly, what the Oba has done is not alien to this clime; some Nigerian elites do the same with any official actions/initiatives by the government to bring succour to the weak in the country. They typically study the initiatives for the loopholes around them before latching onto such loopholes to corner the initiatives and crowd out the intended beneficiaries. However, the difference is that the elite hardly gets away with such fraud in the civilised climes where systems audit, programme review and evaluation are a must. It was apparently such an evaluation that unmasked the traditional ruler. It is most unfortunate. Apparently, there is a lesson for the Nigerian anti-graft agencies to learn from this incident. And that is the supremacy and efficacy of painstaking inquiries into allegations of fraud or corruption over media trials of suspects even before investigations are concluded. It is imperative to note that the alleged fraud over which Oba Oloyede was apprehended by the FBI was perpetrated during the COVID-19 era but the Oba was not taken into custody until around May 2024 when he returned to the US where his family members reportedly reside. If the investigation of the fraud had not been discreet, Oba Oloyede would not have walked into the waiting hands of the FBI.
The way some traditional rulers behave these days—the ease with which they breach traditional and moral codes, the laws of the land and even the laws of other countries—is a source of great concern. Traditional rulers should ordinarily be role models. They are the custodians of the traditions and customs of their people. How can a traditional ruler of a kingdom in Nigeria be in detention in a foreign land? And he is being detained for allegedly masterminding a multi-million dollar fraud against the government of a country in which he once lived and of which he is a citizen! It is morally reprehensible for an Oba to face such allegations. Pray, how will immoral traditional rulers call their people to order when they misbehave? It is even alleged that a number of traditional rulers in Nigeria have pending criminal cases abroad, some of which have been opened and others yet to be opened, and that is the reason some of them cannot travel to certain countries.
This gives the impression that many of the so-called traditional rulers are a bunch of rogues who are unworthy of the exalted thrones they occupy. Some of them are rumoured to engage in illegal mining, while some collude with foreigners to loot the country’s national resources. A few are even accused of collecting money from bandits to set up base in their communities. The treacherous actions of many of them are simply limitless; it is as if their motive for coming to the exalted position is to enrich themselves, abuse their offices and bring disrepute to their own people. But while impunity reigns supreme in this clime, one of them has just found out in faraway US that citizens are obligated to account for their actions, and could be called upon to do so as the need arises, regardless of their status. This is a disgrace to Nigeria, and the government of Osun State should show more than a passing interest in the matter, and do the needful in the fullness of time.
Oba Oloyede has been in FBI custody since 2024, and his continued absence has reportedly stirred worry among the people of Ipetumodu who initially didn’t know his whereabouts. Not a few members of the community are deeply concerned that the Oba had missed some important festivals and rituals which are traditionally believed to be necessary for the spiritual fortification of the community and its people. In the circumstance, the Ipetumodu kingmakers should stand up to be counted and do what the customs, tradition and the law say in situations like this. They should follow due process and reject the influence of money in whatever decisions they take.
Perhaps it should be mentioned that it is the abridgment of the traditional and customary requirements for the selection of traditional rulers that brought some communities into this kind of dire straits in the first place. Thus, apart from a valid claim to the throne, one of the minimum requirements for selecting a prince to mount the saddle should be high standards of character and conduct. This should be ascertained by carrying out due diligence on the antecedents of the concerned princes. And since due diligence on the track records is insufficient to determine with precision what an individual will do in the future, Ifa Corpus was usually enlisted to help inquire into how the reign of any Oba would be, but that has been largely sidetracked.
Today, kingmakers and even Ifa priests are allegedly being swayed by filthy lucre to favour any prince that is ready to dole out huge bribes! It is therefore not surprising to see some Obas engaging in activities that bring opprobrium to the throne, their families, communities and the nation. In the days of yore, Obas who would beat up their wives on the streets, openly use illicit drugs, oppress and assault their subjects, or engage in fraudulent activities would have been screened out through the instrumentality of the Ifa divination.
For instance, kings who would lose wars, not necessarily battles, against the enemies of their communities or bring disrepute to the communities one way or another would not be allowed to ascend the thrones. And if any king misbehaved, he could be asked to commit suicide! The selection process was that stringent and the kingmakers were finicky in those days. And unless there is a reversion to the good old days when money was relegated to the background but hard work, humility, honesty, integrity, valour, probity and vision played a huge role in leadership recruitments, even at the traditional level, the society will continue to select some misfits into offices who will inevitably bring shame and disgrace to the people.
