Nigerian Pastor Jailed In US For $4.2m COVID-19 Relief Fraud.
A United States court has sentenced Nigerian pastor Edward Oluwasanmi to 27 months in prison for orchestrating $4.2 million fraud involving COVID-19 relief funds. The verdict, delivered on 2 July 2025 by Judge Christopher Boyko at the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, marks a significant development in a case that has drawn international attention.
Oluwasanmi, alongside his co-accused, Oba Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Nigeria, was charged with 13 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and engaging in unlawful financial transactions. The pair were arrested in early 2024 after US authorities uncovered their scheme to exploit the Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), both part of the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These initiatives were designed to provide emergency financial support to businesses and non-profits struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Court documents reveal that between April 2020 and February 2022, Oluwasanmi used his companies—Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated—to submit falsified loan applications, backed by fabricated tax and wage documents. The funds, intended to aid businesses in distress, were diverted for personal use, including the purchase of a commercial property in South Euclid, Ohio, and a ($1 million) transfer to a brokerage account. Prosecutors seized approximately ($620,000) from Oluwasanmi’s accounts, and the court has ordered him to forfeit an additional ($1.3 million) to the US government, along with the Ohio property.
In February 2025, both Oluwasanmi and Oloyede pleaded guilty to select charges as part of plea agreements. Oluwasanmi’s sentence, covering counts 1, 11, and 12 of the indictment, will be served concurrently, with a further three years of supervised release. He has also been fined ($15,000) and instructed to report to the US Marshal Service.
Oba Oloyede, a US-based accountant and information systems expert, faces sentencing on 1 August 2025. He admitted guilt to counts 1 and 13, having used his companies, including Available Tax Services Incorporated and Available Financial Corporation, to facilitate the fraud. Oloyede has already surrendered property to the US government, with the court noting that assets derived from the scheme, including those traceable to wire fraud and money laundering, must be forfeited.
The case has sparked significant concern in Nigeria, particularly in Ipetumodu, where Oloyede’s prolonged absence—following his arrest after a trip abroad—has caused unease among community leaders. Reports indicate that the traditional ruler demolished the town’s palace before his detention, promising to rebuild it upon his return, a commitment now in doubt.
This high-profile fraud case adds to a series of similar convictions involving Nigerian nationals in the US, highlighting ongoing challenges in combating financial crime linked to international relief programmes.