Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the deposition of the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, following his conviction in the United States on charges bordering on tax fraud and money laundering.
The decision was based on the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by a court in Ohio, United States, which found the monarch guilty of the offences.
In a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the Osun State Executive Council had earlier directed the Ministry of Local Government to obtain the court judgment before any official action was taken.
According to the statement, the council insisted that government decisions should not rely solely on reports circulating on social media.
Rasheed disclosed that the deposition order, signed by Governor Adeleke on May 7, 2026, was aimed at preserving peace, order, and the integrity of the traditional institution.
The statement added that the monarch’s conviction and guilty plea in the US court had brought the revered stool of the Apetumodu into disrepute, making his removal necessary.
Oba Oloyede was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to 56 months imprisonment for wire fraud, filing false tax returns, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.
Following the deposition, the stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu has been declared vacant, while the process for selecting a new traditional ruler is expected to commence in due course.
Governor Adeleke also appealed to residents and indigenes of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law-abiding throughout the transition process.
