Adeleke Removes Osun King Over US Fraud Conviction

Governor Ademola Adeleke has formally deposed Oba Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, bringing a dramatic end to the monarch’s reign after the Osun State Government received the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the judgment of a United States court which convicted him on fraud-related charges.

The decision, announced in Osogbo, followed what the state described as a painstaking institutional process that began with the Osun State Executive Council’s directive that the Ministry of Local Government obtain the authentic court judgment from Ohio, insisting that “governmental decision should not be based on social media reporting alone.”

Acting on the certified judgment, Governor Adeleke, in a Deposition Order signed on May 7, 2026, approved the removal of the monarch from the revered royal stool of Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area.

The order made it clear that the action was taken “to maintain peace, order and good government” and also to “preserve the honour and integrity of the royal stool.”

According to the government, Oba Oloyede’s conviction in the United States, where he pleaded guilty to charges bordering on wire fraud, false tax returns, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property, had damaged the image of the traditional institution.

The deposition order 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.”

With the pronouncement, the Apetumodu stool has now been declared vacant, setting the stage for the commencement of fresh processes to select a new traditional ruler for the ancient town.

Oba Oloyede had earlier been sentenced on August 26, 2025, by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to 56 months imprisonment after his conviction on multiple counts.

The Osun government said its action underscores the administration’s resolve to uphold accountability and ensure that traditional institutions are not shielded from consequences capable of eroding public trust.

Spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said the state government expects residents of Ipetumodu to remain calm as the transition begins, urging “sons and daughters of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law abiding while the process of selecting a new king is being processed.”

The development marks one of the most consequential royal depositions in recent Osun history, as the state moves to restore credibility to one of its prominent traditional stools after a scandal that crossed international borders.