The FBI has arrested Nigerian pastor Edward Abiodun Oluwasanmi and Osun monarch Oba Joseph Oloyede for allegedly defrauding the U.S. of $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Prosecutors claim they submitted fraudulent loan applications and laundered money. Authorities have seized assets as investigations continue.
The FBI has arrested Nigerian pastor Edward Abiodun Oluwasanmi for allegedly orchestrating a $4.2 million COVID-19 fraud scheme in the United States. Investigators claim that Oluwasanmi collaborated with Oba Joseph Oloyede, a traditional ruler from Osun State, to defraud U.S. pandemic relief programs.
According to court filings from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Oluwasanmi used his companies—Dayspring Property Incorporated, Dayspring Holdings, and Dayspring Transportation—to submit fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief funds. In October 2021, he allegedly moved $1 million into a brokerage account under Dayspring Transportation.
Oluwasanmi was arrested in Cleveland in April 2024 and faced 13 counts of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. He was later released on a $20,000 bail, with authorities confiscating both his Nigerian and U.S. passports to ensure compliance with court proceedings. Investigators also seized over $620,000 in assets, including $599,250 from a Fidelity Investments account and $20,000 from a Key Bank account.
Meanwhile, the involvement of Oba Oloyede has raised further concerns. The Apetu of Ipetumodu was declared missing in March 2024 but was later found in FBI custody after his May 2024 arrest. Prosecutors allege that he facilitated multiple fraudulent loan applications, securing over $1.1 million in relief funds for his businesses.
Both men were indicted by a grand jury on April 3, 2024, for defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 relief programs. The case remains under investigation, with prosecutors seeking to recover stolen funds.
