Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has directed urgent intervention in Ipetumodu, headquarters of Ife-North Local Government, following the jailing of the town’s monarch, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, in the United States for a multimillion-dollar fraud.
Oba Oloyede was sentenced to 56 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko after being found guilty of $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud and filing fake tax documents.
His incarceration has plunged Ipetumodu into leadership uncertainty, sparking tension among the ruling houses, kingmakers, and residents.
Sources within the community disclosed that the monarch’s regalia, including the beaded crown and other paraphernalia of office, have gone missing since his imprisonment.
While some kingmakers insist the throne should remain vacant until Oba Oloyede completes his jail term, others have demanded his immediate replacement to avoid a prolonged leadership vacuum.
Speaking after Friday’s State Executive Council meeting, Adeleke described the development as “ugly” and tasked the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to take immediate steps to resolve the crisis.
“The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs should take action on the ugly development at Ipetumodu where the king was recently jailed in the United States of America,” Adeleke was quoted as saying in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
The Aribile ruling house, one of the royal families in the town, has welcomed the governor’s directive. Prince Olaboye Ayoola, speaking on behalf of the family, said Adeleke’s intervention was long overdue.
“The directive of the governor is in line with the expectations of our people. It is a step in the right direction and the community has been waiting for this action for a long time,” he stated.
But the head of the kingmakers, Chief Sunday Adedeji, disclosed that the council of kingmakers would await further directives from the state government before taking any action.
The leadership tussle has heightened division in the town, with fears that the prolonged absence of a monarch could fuel deeper crises if not urgently addressed by the government.
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