Adeleke ousts Osun monarch following money laundering conviction in US

By Sunday Oguntuyi

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has approved the deposition of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, following his conviction by a United States court on charges related to fraud and money laundering.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, who said the action followed the receipt of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment delivered by a court in Ohio, United States.

According to the statement, the Osun State Executive Council had earlier directed the Ministry of Local Government to formally obtain the certified court judgment from the Ohio court before any official action could be taken against the monarch.

The government explained that it chose to rely on official court documents rather than reports circulating on social media.

The deposition order, signed by Governor Adeleke on May 7, 2026, stated that the decision was necessary to preserve peace, order, and the integrity of the traditional institution.

The order further noted that the monarch’s conviction and guilty plea in the United States had brought the royal stool and the institution of traditional rulership into disrepute.

Oba Oloyede was convicted by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on charges bordering on wire fraud, filing false tax returns, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.

He was sentenced on August 26, 2025, to 56 months imprisonment for the offences.

Following the deposition, the Osun State Government declared the stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu vacant and said steps would be initiated to commence the process of selecting a new monarch for the community.

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