For more than sixty years, Robert J Oshodin Sr, widely known as Bob Oshodin, has been defined not by political office or government power, but by business. He built factories, created employment, expanded markets, and left behind a record of enterprise that should have spoken for itself. Yet today, his name is clouded by allegations that cast him as something he never was: a politician and a launderer of illicit funds. These accusations are not only unfounded — they represent one of the clearest examples of a false prosecution in modern Nigerian history.
A Life in Industry, Not Politics
The roots of Bob Oshodin’s business legacy stretch back to 1962, when he established Bob Oshodin Organization Limited. The company became a cornerstone of Nigerian industry, providing jobs and stimulating local economies. By 1982, after two decades of legitimate business success, Robert J Oshodin Sr had purchased his first California property for $1 million — a milestone that speaks to a businessman’s achievement, not a politician’s spoils.
Despite this history, detractors have painted him as a political insider. Nothing in the record supports that label. He never worked for the Nigerian government, never held office, and never drew income from public coffers. His career has been defined by private enterprise, not public power.
Transparent Transactions Ignored
The allegations of money laundering against Bob Oshodin collapse when examined against the evidence. When the Nigerian government became the buyer of his factory, every step of the transaction was transparent. The down payment was declared to federal authorities. Stamp duty — a tax imposed by the Nigerian government itself — was assessed and paid before the transfer of funds.
From there, the money traveled through Access Bank in Nigeria, Citi Bank in the United States, and finally Wells Fargo. Both American banks held the money for weeks while conducting independent due diligence. Only after verifying the legitimacy of the funds did they release them. This is the very opposite of concealment.
Punished Without Cause
Despite this open trail, the EFCC acted with stunning disregard for due process. Without a court order, without an investigation, and without even reviewing the factory or its documents, all of Robert J Oshodin Sr’s Nigerian bank accounts were frozen. By 2015, his factory — the same one he built in 1962 — was grounded.
Workers lost their jobs. Suppliers lost contracts. Communities lost a source of economic stability. A business legacy that had endured for more than half a century was silenced overnight.
The Logic Gap
Perhaps the most glaring flaw in the prosecution is its own illogic. If the Nigerian government was the buyer of the factory, why would it simultaneously accuse Bob Oshodin of laundering the very money it paid him? Would any government pay a private businessman to launder its own funds? The suggestion defies reason.
Selective Justice
Meanwhile, real offenders — individuals who have stolen billions — walk free under EFCC protection. The contrast could not be clearer: a compliant businessman punished, while known embezzlers enjoy impunity. This is not justice. It is selective prosecution at its most damaging.
A False Prosecution
The evidence speaks plainly. The funds were declared. Stamp duty was paid. International banks cleared the transactions. No court has ever issued a judgment against Bob Oshodin. Yet for over a decade, his accounts remain frozen, his factory grounded, and his family harassed.
This is not the story of a money launderer. It is the story of a businessman wrongfully accused. Robert J Oshodin Sr deserves recognition for his business legacy, not condemnation from a false prosecution.
