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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu.
The decision followed Oloyede’s conviction in the United States of America on tax fraud and money laundering charges.
The governor’s action came after the receipt of the Certified True Copy of the Ohio court judgment, which convicted the monarch.
A statement by the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, obtained in Osogbo on Monday, recalled that the State Executive Council had resolved “last year that the Ministry of Local Government should write to the Ohio court to request the Certified True Copy of the judgment to form the basis for the government action.”
The statement further read, “The Council had justified the decision to contact the Ohio court on the ground that governmental decisions should not be based on social media reporting alone.”
“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 Deposition Order further stated that 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, hence the resort to deposition.”
PUNCH Online had reported that Oba Joseph Oloyede was sentenced to 56 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud, making false tax returns and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, United States of America on August 26, 2025.
Rasheed further said, “By this deposition, the stool of Apetumodu of Ipetumodu has been declared vacant, while the necessary process will be put in place to appoint a new Apetumodu of Ipetumodu at the appropriate time.”
“The governor appeals to sons and daughters of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law-abiding while the process of installing a new king is being processed.”
