Governor Ademola Adeleke has approved the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area following his conviction in the United States on charges of tax fraud and money laundering.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the decision followed the receipt of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement delivered by an Ohio court which convicted the monarch.
The statement noted that the Osun State Executive Council had earlier directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgement from the Ohio court to serve as the legal basis for government action.
The Council maintained that such a sensitive decision could not be based solely on reports circulating on social media.
The Deposition Order, signed by the Governor stated that the action was necessary to maintain peace, order and good governance, as well as protect the honour and integrity of the royal institution.
According to the order, the offences committed by Oba Joseph Oloyede, to which he pleaded guilty in the United States, alongside his conviction and public trial, had brought the Apetumodu stool and the traditional institution into disrepute and public ridicule.
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 stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu has been declared vacant, while the process for the selection and appointment of a new monarch will commence in due course.
Governor Adeleke also appealed to indigenes and residents of Ipetumodu to remain peaceful and law-abiding throughout the transition process.