The Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, has been removed from the throne after a United States court convicted and sentenced him to prison over COVID-19 fraud and tax-related offences.

CBI News reports that Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has officially deposed the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, following his conviction and imprisonment in the United States over fraud-related offences.

The monarch was convicted by a United States District Court in Northern Ohio on August 26, 2025, for tax fraud connected to COVID-19 relief schemes and was sentenced to 56 months in prison. The development sparked protests in Ipetumodu, where residents demanded his removal from office.

In a statement released on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said the decision was taken after the Osun State Government received the Certified True Copy of the US court judgment.

According to the statement, the Osun State Executive Council had earlier directed the Ministry of Local Government to formally obtain the court documents from Ohio before taking any official action, insisting that such a sensitive decision could not rely solely on social media reports.

Governor Adeleke, in the deposition order signed on May 7, 2026, said the action was necessary to preserve peace, uphold the integrity of the traditional institution, and protect the honour of the royal stool.

The government stated that Oba Oloyede’s guilty plea, public trial, and conviction had brought the revered institution of Obaship into disrepute, making his deposition unavoidable.

With the removal now official, the stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu has been declared vacant, while the process to appoint a new monarch will begin in due course.

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

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