Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has dethroned the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area, Oba Gbenga Joseph Oloyede, with immediate effect, following the monarch’s conviction and four-year prison sentence in the United States for his role in a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes. The decision was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi. The statement said the action followed due consultation, legal review, and approval by the State Executive Council, and was taken in accordance with the Osun State Chiefs Law, as amended, and other relevant legal provisions guiding traditional institutions in the state.
Oba Oloyede, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko to four years in federal prison. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Oloyede led a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained more than $4.4 million from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, both intended to help struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The monarch and his co-conspirators submitted falsified loan applications for shell companies, laundered the proceeds through bank accounts, and used the money to fund personal luxuries. A significant portion of the fraudulently obtained funds was traced to the purchase of a home in Medina, Ohio, which was subsequently forfeited to the government. Oloyede was also ordered to pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The forfeiture of the Ohio home and the recovery of $96,006.89 in fraud proceeds were announced by the US Attorney’s Office. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The monarch had been living in the United States while also holding the traditional title in Osun State. The conviction marks one of the most high-profile cases of a Nigerian traditional ruler being prosecuted for fraud in a foreign jurisdiction. Following his sentencing, Oloyede was taken into federal custody and is currently serving his term in a US correctional facility.
The Osun State Government, in its statement, declared that the Staff of Office and all instruments of authority earlier issued to the monarch have been withdrawn, and the stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu has been declared vacant. The Commissioner for Information stated that the government would not tolerate any act that brings the traditional institution into disrepute, and that any occupant of a royal stool must be of unimpeachable character. The kingmakers of Ipetumodu have been directed to begin the process of selecting a new traditional ruler in accordance with the extant chieftaincy laws of the state.
The dethronement has sent shockwaves through the traditional institution in Osun State. While there have been previous cases of monarchs dethroned for misconduct within Nigeria, the removal of a sitting king based on a foreign criminal conviction is rare. Legal analysts note that the Osun State Chiefs Law allows for the removal of a traditional ruler for conviction of a criminal offence involving dishonesty, regardless of where the conviction was obtained. The state government’s swift action has been praised by anti-corruption advocates who argue that traditional rulers, as custodians of culture, must be held to high moral standards.
Reactions from the Ipetumodu community were mixed. Some residents expressed shock that their monarch could be involved in such a large-scale fraud, while others questioned whether due process was followed in the dethronement. A palace source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the kingmakers had been informed of the government’s decision and would now set in motion the machinery for electing a new Apetumodu. The deposed monarch has the right to appeal his criminal conviction in the United States, but that would not affect the decision of the Osun State Government, which is based on the fact of the conviction itself, not on its finality on appeal.
Oba Gbenga Joseph Oloyode had been on the throne for several years before his legal troubles in the United States came to light. His arrest and conviction were widely reported in both Nigerian and international media, but the Osun State Government had remained silent until the Tuesday announcement. Governor Adeleke, who has previously championed transparency and good governance, appears to have used the full weight of the law to remove a traditional ruler whose conduct, in the government’s view, had disgraced the entire stool.
With the throne now vacant, the people of Ipetumodu await the appointment of a new monarch. The kingmakers are expected to consult with the state government to ensure that the selection process is transparent and that the next occupant of the stool will be a person of proven integrity, as the standard for traditional leadership in Osun State has just been set at a very high threshold. For now, the deposed king sits in a US prison cell, his crown and staff of office withdrawn, a stark reminder that no office, no matter how exalted, is a shield against the consequences of crime.
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