Governor Adeleke deposes Osun monarch over US fraud conviction

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the deposition of the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area, Oba Joseph Oloyede, following his conviction in the United States of America on tax fraud and money laundering charges.

Following the deposition, the stool of the Apetu of Ipetumodu has been declared vacant pending the commencement of processes for the appointment of a new monarch.

A statement signed by the spokesperson to the governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said the governor’s decision followed the receipt of the Certified True Copy of the Ohio court judgment which convicted the monarch.

According to the statement, the Osun State Executive Council had last year directed the Ministry of Local Government to obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment from the Ohio court before taking any official action.

The council reportedly maintained that government decisions should not rely solely on social media reports.

The deposition order, signed by Governor Adeleke on May 7, 2026, stated that the action was predicated on the need to maintain peace, order, and good governance, 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 established by the US court to which he pleaded guilty, alongside his public trial and conviction, had brought the institution of monarchy and the stool of the Apetu of Ipetumodu into disrepute and public odium, hence the decision to depose him.

Oba Joseph Oloyede was sentenced to 56 months imprisonment for offences bordering on wire fraud, filing false tax returns, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on August 26, 2025.