Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has approved the deposition of Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu following the monarch’s conviction in the United States on fraud and money laundering charges.
The decision came after the Osun State government received a Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by a court in Ohio, which convicted the traditional ruler on multiple financial crimes.
In a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the government said the deposition order was signed by Adeleke on 7 May 2026.
The statement recalled that the State Executive Council had resolved last year to formally request the certified judgment from the US court rather than rely on media reports surrounding the case.
“The council had justified the decision to contact the Ohio court on the ground that a governmental decision should not be based on social media reporting alone,” the statement said.
According to the government, the monarch’s removal was considered necessary to preserve the integrity of the traditional institution and maintain public confidence in the royal stool.
“In the deposition order signed by His Excellency on 7th May, 2026, the action was predicated on the need to maintain peace, order and good government as well as preserve the honour and integrity of the royal stool,” the statement added.
It further stated that the conduct of the monarch, alongside his public trial and conviction in the United States, had brought the institution of kingship in Ipetumodu into disrepute.
“The fraudulent conduct of Oba Joseph Oloyede, as found by the US court and which he pleaded guilty to, and his public trial and conviction have brought the institution of Obaship and the stool of Apetumodu of Ipetumodu to disrepute and public odium.”
Joseph Oloyede was sentenced by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on 26 August 2025 to 56 months’ imprisonment after being convicted on charges including wire fraud, filing false tax returns and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.
The Osun government said the deposition formally renders the Apetumodu stool vacant and that the process for selecting a new monarch would commence in due course.
Rasheed appealed to residents and indigenes of Ipetumodu to remain calm while the succession process unfolds.
“The governor appeals to sons and daughters of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law-abiding while the process of electing a new king is being conducted,” the statement said.
