Adeleke deposes Oloyede after the Osun monarch’s conviction in the United States on fraud and money laundering charges

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has approved the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu following the monarch’s conviction in the United States on tax fraud and money laundering charges.

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The decision was announced in Osogbo on Monday after the Osun State Government received the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by a court in Ohio, United States.

A statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said the action followed an earlier resolution by the State Executive Council directing the Ministry of Local Government to obtain the certified court judgment before any official step was taken.

According to the statement, the council had insisted that government decisions should not be based solely on reports circulating on social media.

“In the Deposition Order signed by His Excellency on May 7, 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 read.

The government further stated that the conviction and guilty plea entered by Oba Joseph Oloyede had brought the revered institution of traditional rulership and the stool of the Apetumodu into public disrepute.

The statement described the development as deeply damaging to the integrity of the monarchy, prompting what officials called a decisive intervention by the state government.

Oba Joseph 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 Osun State Government declared the stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu vacant and said the process of selecting a new monarch would commence at the appropriate time.

Olawale Rasheed also appealed to residents and indigenes of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law-abiding during the transition process.

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The development marks one of the most high-profile royal depositions in recent years and is expected to generate widespread reactions across traditional and political circles in Osun State.