Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has approved the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu following his conviction in the United States over fraud-related offences.
The Osun State Government said the decision was taken after receiving the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by a United States court in Ohio, which convicted the monarch on charges bordering on tax fraud and money laundering.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday in Osogbo by the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed.
According to the statement, the Osun State Executive Council had, last year, directed the Ministry of Local Government to formally obtain the certified court judgment from the Ohio court before any official action would be taken against the monarch.
The government explained that the decision was necessary to ensure that its actions were based on verified legal documents rather than media reports or social media publications.
“In the Deposition Order signed by Governor Adeleke on May 7, 2026, said the action was predicated on the need to maintain peace, order and good governance, as well as preserve the honour and integrity of the royal stool,” the statement read.
The government further stated that the monarch’s guilty plea, public trial and conviction in the United States had brought the traditional institution and the stool of the Apetumodu into disrepute.
According to the statement, the conviction subjected the royal institution to public embarrassment and undermined the integrity associated with the throne.
Oba Oloyede was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to 56 months imprisonment after being convicted of wire fraud, filing false tax returns and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.
Following the deposition, the Osun State Government declared the stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu vacant and announced that the process for selecting a new traditional ruler would commence in line with established procedures.
The governor also appealed to residents and indigenes of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law-abiding during the transition process.
