$4.2m COVID-19 Fraud: Gov Adeleke Issues Osun Commissioner New Order

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Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has instructed the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, to take urgent action on an ugly development at Ipetumodu, where the town’s monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyedem was recently jailed in the US.

Adeleke gave the directive at the weekend, when he presided the State Executive Council meeting.

At the meeting, the governor also took steps on other critical state policies where review and subsequent implementation directives were issued to ministries and agencies.

THISDAY learnt that the Osun State government had weeks ago said it will only decide the monarch’s fate after his trial in the US.

It was also learnt that there were reported royal rumblings at Ipetumodu community, in Osun State, which had begun to take worrisome dimensions. What began as a routine palace meeting allegedly ended in disarray after a call was made to reach out to Adeleke to declare the stool of the Apetu vacant following the conviction of Oba Joseph Oloyede in the US.

The most senior kingmaker was said to have declined moves to dethrone the convicted monarch.

The monarch, 62, was convicted on charges of conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes created for struggling businesses.

Oloyede, who holds dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenships, and resides in Medina, Ohio, was on August 26 handed 56 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko.

The meeting held at the traditional council chamber and it was allegedly presided over by the Asalu of Ipetumodu, Chief Sunday Adedeji, who was called to address the rising tension surrounding the monarch’s fate.

The session, which began around 4pm last week, reportedly, progressed without incident until a prince proposed that a formal letter be sent to the governor, urging him to declare the throne vacant.

According to sources at the meeting, the proposal ignited a fierce debate.

Adedeji, said to be the most senior surviving kingmaker, declined the request, stating that he would not be part of any move to dethrone the embattled monarch.

He also reportedly recused himself from his role as a kingmaker altogether.

However, his refusal drew sharp criticism from some of the princes, leading to heated exchanges and shouting, ultimately causing the meeting to end around 6pm without reaching a resolution.

In an interview after the incident, Prince Olaboye Ayoola of the Aribile Ruling House expressed frustration at the development.

“During the meeting, we all agreed that two new kingmakers should be elected to replace the deceased ones and that a letter should be written to the governor declaring the seat vacant,” Ayoola said.

He added, “But Chief Adedeji refused. He said we would not do that and even stepped down from being a kingmaker. That’s what led to the chaos.”

When contacted by reporters, Adedeji stood by his decision, offering a brief but telling remark: “It is true. Peace has to reign first.”

Oloyede, the current Apetu of Ipetumodu, was reportedly convicted in the US, although details of the case remained unclear.

Since news of the conviction broke, the town of Ipetumodu had been on edge, with growing calls for the state government to step in and resolve the leadership vacuum.

Babatunde had previously stated that the government was awaiting a Certified True Copy of the U.S. court judgement before taking any formal steps.

Further complicating the situation was a sharp division between the town’s two ruling houses – Aribile and Fagbemokun.

The Aribile House, from which Oloyede hails, was split on the issue, as some insisted the stool should remain with them until the monarch completed his jail term. But others argued that a new candidate should be chosen from among previous contenders within the house.

The Fagbemokun House saw things differently. Its members insisted that, according to traditional rotation, it was now their turn to produce the next Apetu.

With the resignation of Adedeji as kingmaker and no consensus in sight, Ipetumodu’s royal succession crisis appears far from over.

As the town waits for the state government’s intervention, the palace remains in limbo. The absence of a clear leadership path risks deepening the division and further unsettling the community.

For now, one thing is certain: the future of the Apetu throne hangs in the balance, with history, tradition, and legal complexities all colliding in a storm of uncertainty.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio had, in an August 26, 2025 statement, confirmed 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 judgement, Ipetumodu has been unsettled, with calls mounting for the state government to decide on the monarch’s fate.

Security was tight at the disrupted meeting.

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