Adeleke D£poses Osun Monarch Convicted of Fraud in US
Adeleke Deposes Osun Monarch Convicted of Fraud in US
Governor Ademola Adeleke has approved the deposition of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, following his conviction in the United States on tax fraud and money laundering charges.
The Osun State Government said the decision was taken after it received the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by a court in Ohio, United States, which convicted the monarch.
In a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the State Executive Council explained that it had earlier directed the Ministry of Local Government to officially obtain the court judgment from the Ohio court before taking any action.
According to the statement, the government insisted that such a sensitive decision could not be based solely on reports circulating on social media.
The deposition order, signed by Governor Adeleke on May 7, 2026, stated that the action became necessary to preserve peace, order, good governance, and the integrity of the traditional institution.
The government further noted that the monarch’s conviction and guilty plea in the US had brought the revered stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu and the institution of Obaship into public disrepute.
Oba Oloyede had earlier been sentenced by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on August 26, 2025, to 56 months imprisonment for wire fraud, filing false tax returns, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.
Following the deposition, the Osun State Government declared the Apetumodu stool vacant and said steps would be taken in due course to commence the process of appointing a new traditional ruler for Ipetumodu.
The governor also appealed to residents and indigenes of the community to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding while the process of selecting a new monarch begins.
