The two ruling houses of Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State have petitioned Governor Ademola Adeleke, demanding the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede as Apetumodu of Ipetumodu following his conviction in the United States.
In a joint letter dated October 13, 2025, and addressed to the governor through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Aribile and Fagbemokun ruling houses urged Adeleke to declare the Apetumodu stool vacant and begin the process of selecting a successor.
The letter, signed by 10 representatives of the royal compounds, also called on the government to direct the Ministry of Justice to lodge and domesticate the certified U.S. judgment against the monarch in Nigeria’s judicial registry to strengthen the record for his formal removal.
The royal families cited Oba Oloyede’s conviction in the United States as justification for their request.
The letter reads, “Now, following his conviction and sentencing to 56 months imprisonment, along with an additional three years of supervised release in the United States of America, the need for urgent government intervention has become even more compelling.”
According to the ruling houses, the U.S. Federal Court (Northern District of Ohio) sentenced the monarch in August 2025 after he pleaded guilty to charges linked to a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
It further stated, “Official releases from U.S. authorities and multiple credible Nigerian media outlets confirm the conviction and sentence beyond dispute. The Osun State Government has publicly acknowledged the development.”
The letter stressed that the throne has suffered from the prolonged absence and criminal conviction of the monarch, leaving customs and traditions in disarray.
“These facts have brought the institution of the Apetumodu into disrepute both at home and abroad,” it stated.
They urged the governor to act under the Chiefs Law of Osun State to safeguard the dignity of the throne and the welfare of the people.
“We humbly request Your Excellency to approve the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede, declare the Apetumodu stool vacant and direct the Ministry of Justice to lodge and domesticate the certified U.S. judgment,” the ruling houses prayed.
The ruling houses assured Adeleke of their commitment to a peaceful, lawful, and transparent succession process under the Chiefs Law and the Apetumodu Chieftaincy Declaration.
“We are ready to cooperate fully with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Ife North Local Government for a credible process that will restore honour to the throne,” the families pledged.
Long-Running Mystery Around Monarch’s Disappearance
Oba Oloyede had been under suspension for over three years following his mysterious disappearance from the community.
The puzzle was finally resolved in April 2025 when he appeared before a U.S. court in Ohio to face charges over his alleged role in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio alleged that Oloyede and another defendant, Edward Oluwasanmi, floated a series of phoney businesses to fraudulently obtain relief funds meant to help small businesses and employees survive the coronavirus pandemic.
It further revealed that both defendants devised a means to defraud financial institutions by obtaining COVID-19 relief funds from SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme and the Paycheck Protection Programme under false pretences.
“Oloyede is also alleged to have submitted falsified PPP and EIDL loan applications in the names of other co-conspirators and confederate borrowers and their businesses, obtaining approximately $1.3m through those applications for a total of at least $4.2m obtained through the fraud,” the statement added.
The fate awaiting the two men became clearer and grimmer when, on Monday, April 21, Oba Oloyede entered a guilty plea in court. Oluwasanmi also pleaded guilty.
In early July, when the matter came up, the Court sentenced Oluwasanmi to 27 months’ imprisonment, while Apetu was ordered to forfeit his property to the US government as he awaited his own judgment, slated for August 1.
However, the court did not pass its verdict until Tuesday, August 26. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, in a statement announcing the judgment, said the monarch was sentenced to more than 4 years’ jail time.
U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, in his judgment, also ordered Oba Oloyede to “serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution.”
The Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio statement further read, “He also forfeited his Medina home on Foote Road, which he had acquired with proceeds of the scheme, and an additional $96,006.89 in fraud proceeds investigators had seized,” the statement read. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Oloyede led a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes created for struggling businesses.
“From about April 2020 to February 2022, Oloyede and his co-conspirator, Edward Oluwasanmi, conspired to submit fraudulent applications for loans that were made available through the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.”
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