US Based Jeweler, Shade Yusuf Calls Out Nigerian Reps Aspirant, Lekan ‘Ojasope’ Over Alleged Unpaid $5,200 Gold Debt

A United States based Nigerian female gold merchant, Shade Yusuf, has taken to social media to demand the payment of an alleged debt owed to her by a fellow US based socialite and Nigerian House of Representatives aspirant, Hon. Olalekan Adeleke Shogbesan, popularly known as “Ojasope.”

Shade, a.k.a. SSGoldJeweler, who resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, and works with a government firm, claims that Mr. Shogbesan has refused to pay for gold jewelry valued at $5,200, which he purchased over four years ago.

According to Shade, the transaction took place in July 2022 when Shogbesan, the CEO of Sholep Energy, bought gold hand and neck chains, promising to settle the bill within two weeks. At the time of purchase, she said that gold was valued at approximately $58 per gram, compared to current market rates of around $150 per gram.

“This is my hard-earned sweat,” Yusuf stated. She said “When I called Ojasope for the payment after two weeks, he told me not to worry, claiming he would pay soon after settling an N800 million contract he had just secured in Nigeria. He opted to pay in Naira, and I agreed.”

Shade further alleged that during the same period, she assisted Ojasope by connecting him with a landlord for accommodation after he claimed he had no house and was sleeping in his office. However, the living arrangement ended abruptly in September 2022.

“Ojasope’s landlord called me around 4:00 am American time on September 18, 2022, four days to the day Lekan was supposed to pay me, and told me he saw him packing his belongings, including his television. The landlord said he suspected Ojasope was moving out because the only thing left in the room was a balloon mattress,” Shade recounted.

Shade said that when he confronted him on the phone about the sudden move, Ojasope reportedly denied relocating, claiming he was merely delivering items to his daughter in California. Days later, an auto dealer associate informed Shade that Ojasope had already left the United States and was already in Nigeria.

Upon tracking him down via his Nigerian phone number, Shade claimed Ojasope became confrontational but requested her Nigerian bank details to initiate an immediate transfer. According to Shade, despite providing approximately 12 different bank accounts across multiple currencies over the years, Shade maintained that no payment has been received from Ojasope.

Frustrated by the delay, Shade said she requested the return of the jewelry, but the socialite allegedly declined, stating he could not return the items because “his sweat was already on the jewelry.”

The dispute recently escalated to social media after a popular online blogger waded into the matter. During a live broadcast, Ojasope reportedly called into the show and pledged to clear the debt by July of this year.

However, Shade noted that following the broadcast, Ojasope stopped answering calls from her and eventually blocked her lines, alongside those of mutual associates who attempted to mediate.

Efforts to reach Mr. Shogbesan for comments were unsuccessful, as his known Nigerian telephone line remained switched off up until press time.