₦airaland Forum

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Friday, has directed the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Dosu Babatunde, to act on the lingering crises over the stool of Apetumodu following the conviction of Oba Joseph Oloyede by a court in the United States of America.

The directive to the commissioner came at the time tension was reaching its peak between those who wanted the stool to remain vacant till Oba Oloyede returned and those pushing for the installation of another monarch.

Oba Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, was recently sentenced to more than four years’ imprisonment in the U.S. for COVID-19 loan fraud.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio had, in an August 26, 2025, statement, confirmed Oba Oloyede’s sentencing. The monarch, alongside a co-conspirator, was found guilty of exploiting COVID-19 loan programmes under the CARES Act between April 2020 and February 2022.

Since the judgment, Ipetumodu has been unsettled, with calls mounting for the state government to decide on the monarch’s fate.

He was also ordered to forfeit assets and pay over $4.4m in restitution.

Since the monarch was convicted, the only official reaction from the state government through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Babatunde, was that the government wanted to obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment before further action would be taken.

But in his first open reaction to the development, Adeleke, at the State Executive Council meeting during which critical state policies were reviewed and implementation directives issued to ministries and agencies, ordered Babatunde to “take action on the ugly development at Ipetumodu where the King was recently jailed in the United States of America.”

Highlighting other issues discussed at the meeting, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Saturday further said “For the Ministry of Science and Innovations, the Governor urged the fast tracking of implementation plans and timelines for the two major policies recently endorsed namely; the State ICT policy and the State Tech Innovation policy.”

Commending the Ministry of Science and Technology on the recently unveiled Imole Wifi Initiative, the governor charged the Ministry to develop a state road map for the applications of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technology.

He added, “For the Ministry of Agriculture, the Governor requested urgent actions for the full implementation of the Statewide Youth Agropreneurship project, which was launched at Oriade, directing that the ministry should dust its plan and ensure the programme commences across all local governments in the state.

On sports development, Governor Adeleke calls for urgent actions on the bills for the establishment of Osun Sport Commission, the Police Trust Fund and Osun Sports Development Fund, directing a closer interface with the State Assembly to fast-track the processing of the bills.”

Alimi said the governor further directed that “Each local government must have a developmental document which will flow from the state development agenda. The Chief of Staff with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning should interface with ALGON to make this initiative a reality. We must review the workings of the Imole Youth Corps for quality assurance. Posted Imole Corps members must be monitored to deliver on the goals of the scheme.

Council members should take note of our huge success in the climate change sector. Our many initiatives are gaining attention from other states, the Federal Government, the International Agencies and groups. Our ultimate goal is to generate grants and donor support from several willing donor groups.

As we move towards the election period, we need statistics and data on our performance across various sectors of the state economy. We should start to generate our governance data. The agency in charge of statistics and data in the state should sit up. The agency in question must work in line with modern best practices.”

On the unfolding drama regarding the Apetumodu stool, The PUNCH reports that tension erupted on Tuesday during a meeting of princes in Ipetumodu, Osun State, after a call was made for Governor Adeleke to declare the stool vacant.

The meeting, held within the palace premises and presided over by the Asalu of Ipetumodu, Chief Sunday Adedeji, started around 4 p.m. and progressed without incident until a prince demanded that Adedeji, as the most senior surviving kingmaker, write a formal letter to Governor Adeleke declaring the throne vacant.
Adedeji, however, rejected the request and reportedly recused himself from any move to declare the stool vacant. His stance sparked a shouting match among the attendees, causing the meeting to break down around 6 p.m.

Speaking afterwards, a prince from the Aribile Ruling House, Olaboye Ayoola, expressed disappointment at Adedeji’s refusal. He said, “During the meeting, we all decided that two new kingmakers should be elected to replace the deceased ones, and a letter was written to the governor declaring the seat vacant. But Chief Adedeji refused, insisting we won’t do that. He also announced he was no longer interested in being a kingmaker. That led to chaos, and the meeting ended without any resolution.”

When contacted, Adedeji confirmed his rejection of the proposal, saying only: “It is true. Peace has to reign first,” before declining further comment.

https://punchng.com/conviction-of-osun-monarch-in-us-ugly-development-says-adeleke/ nlfpmod

As if it is a new thing. How can he grow politically if he isn't convicted in the USA? How can he demand for the governorship or the presidency in future if he isn't convicted? It is a culture over there.

Sad a reverred custodian of traditional norms, values and ancestral beliefs like an Oba is convicted of a serious crime against humanity on the COVID-19 relief funds. It is unthinkable, unacceptable, and abominable.

Imagine a clergy man was also convicted with him. Two supposed moralist and shining examples to the teenagers and youth are lawbreakers.

cc: nlfpmod

Skeyskey:
As if it is a new thing. How can he grow politically if he isn't convicted in the USA? How can he demand for the governorship or the presidency in future if he isn't convicted? It is a culture over there.

Sadly he will get it. Imagine there are people fighting for him reignship to continue in Osun state desperate this ugly development. So much for a nation whose elites and rulers are fraudulent

So, some abnormal indigenes want a criminal imposed King, to come back and continue to reign after four years imprisonment in a foreign land.
The state government should save itself from embarrassment,depose the King, and instruct the ruling house to nominate another responsible person for the throne.
This should serve as a deterrent that before any returnee is nominated for the throne, his activities while overseas should be well investigated,to be sure he has a legitimate source of income.
The imprisoned King should even be banished whenever he comes back.

Racoon:
Sadly he will get it. Imagine there are people fighting for him reignship to continue in Osun state desperate this ugly development. So much for a nation whose elites and rulers are fraudulent

It is normal over there. In fact his political future is now secured. It is just a matter of time for him to come out of prison, boom, it will be his lokan.

yinkus6750:
So, some abnormal indigenes want a criminal imposed King, to come back and continue to reign after four years imprisonment in a foreign land.
The state government should save itself from embarrassment,depose the King, and instruct the ruling house to nominate another responsible person for the throne.
This should serve as a deterrent that before any returnee is nominated for the throne, his activities while overseas should be well investigated,to be sure he has a legitimate source of income.
The imprisoned King should even be banished whenever he comes back.

You are wasting your time. The king is now a sort of cult hero to be worshipped. He is now 100% sure he will be Osun state governor or president in the future. That's normal over there. It is just a matter of time.

It is a very sad situation but life goes on. The governor should order the king maker to install another king.

Your grab and run with it president would have been chilling in USA jail and not Aso Rock. Cocaine and heroine runner as president of over 250 million population! Pablo Escobar could only dream about this in Colombia.

Chubhie:
Your grab and run with it president would have been chilling in USA jail and not Aso Rock. Cocaine and heroine runner as president of over 250 million population! Pablo Escobar could only dream about this in Colombia.

All these you mentioned are the prerequisites to becoming a hero and a leader over there. The jailed Oba has now built a solid CV that will stand the test of time. This conviction is what that will catapult him to being a governor, senator or the president in future. It is a habit over there.

madridguy:
It is a very sad situation but life goes on. The governor should order the king maker to install another king.

Don't pretend like it is not acceptable to you. Long live the king.

All he had to do was escape to Nigeria when he was busted, forfeit $460,000 and run for Governor. His mentor didn't coach him well.

givedemwotowoto:
All he had to do was escape to Nigeria, forfeit $460,000 and run for Governor.

It is just a matter of time. He sure knows what he is doing.

SCCAAAMMBIIYYESSIII OOO!!!

Racoon:
Sadly he will get it. Imagine there are people fighting for him reignship to continue in Osun state desperate this ugly development. So much for a nation whose elites and rulers are fraudulent

It's funny how you people read and only pick out what satisfies your twisted biase.

In case you have a problem with assimilation, I'll break it down. No one is against appointing a new King. The head kingmaker only said that wasn't the priority. The priority was for both royal houses to bury the hatchet and be at peace and once that has been achieved, they can go ahead with appointing a new king. And this is because one of the houses which is the convicted king's house wants the throne to remain in their house while the other house argues that it must come to their house since the king has brought shame.

I know all these doesn't change your biase, I won't stoop low to start throwing tribal jabs with you lots. If being a tribalist is your calling in life, answer it by all means.

When their kings are fraudsters ,what do we expect from the ones laying on ground for them.

Skeyskey:
As if it is a new thing. How can he grow politically if he isn't convicted in the USA? How can he demand for the governorship or the presidency in future if he isn't convicted? It is a culture over there.

They see it as sophistication over there.



They really need to work on that mentality.

Skeyskey:
As if it is a new thing. How can he grow politically if he isn't convicted in the USA? How can he demand for the governorship or the presidency in future if he isn't convicted? It is a culture over there.

Look at the dirty character they worship as a god. A man who put their sons on the streets to work as thugs instead of giving them education.

In a region where all the leaders are past criminals.

The Tale of a criminal King.

madridguy:
It is a very sad situation but life goes on. The governor should order the king maker to install another king.

so you want them to install another king while the original king stay in prison.what will happen to the fake one when the original one is out from prison