COVID-19 Fraud: Osun Deposes Apetumodu, Declares Stool Vacant

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Osun State Government has officially deposed the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Gbenga Joseph Oloyede, and declared the revered royal stool vacant with immediate effect.

The decision was conveyed in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, who said the action followed extensive consultations, a thorough legal review, and subsequent approval by the State Executive Council (EXCO).

According to the Commissioner, the removal of the monarch was carried out in strict compliance with the provisions of the Osun State Chiefs Law and other relevant statutes regulating the conduct and administration of traditional institutions in the state.

Alimi further disclosed that government has withdrawn the Staff of Office and all instruments of authority previously conferred on Oba Oloyede, effectively bringing his reign to an end.

While the state government did not explicitly state all the grounds for the deposition in the statement, the action was believed to be connected to the monarch’s past legal troubles in the United States.

Oba Oloyede, who ascended the throne as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, had earlier been convicted in the United States over charges bordering on fraud.

Reports indicated that the traditional ruler was found guilty by a US court for his involvement in a scheme related to identity theft and fraudulent financial transactions. 

The conviction, which predated or became public during his reign, had generated controversy and raised questions about his suitability for the stool.

The development had, over time, attracted criticism from stakeholders within and outside Ipetumodu, with calls for appropriate action by the state government to preserve the sanctity of the traditional institution.