Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has approved the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu following his conviction in the United States on charges bordering on tax fraud and money laundering.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson to the governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, who disclosed that the action followed the receipt of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment delivered by a court in Ohio, United States.
According to the statement, the Osun State Executive Council had earlier directed the Ministry of Local Government to formally request the court judgment from the Ohio court, insisting that any government action must be based on official documentation rather than social media reports.
The deposition order, signed by Governor Adeleke on May 7, 2026, stated that the action became necessary to preserve the integrity of the traditional institution and maintain peace, order and good governance in the state.
The government said the monarch’s conviction and guilty plea in the United States had brought the stool of the Apetumodu and the institution of Obaship into disrepute.
“The fraudulent conduct of Oba Joseph Oloyede as found by the US court and which he pleaded guilty to, alongside his public trial and conviction, have brought the institution of Obaship and the stool of Apetumodu of Ipetumodu to disrepute and public odium,” the statement said.
Oba Oloyede was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by the United States District Court in the Northern District of Ohio to 56 months imprisonment for offences including wire fraud, filing false tax returns and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.
With the deposition, the stool of Apetumodu of Ipetumodu has been declared vacant pending the commencement of the process for the selection of a new traditional ruler.
Governor Adeleke also appealed to indigenes of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law-abiding during the transition process.
