Two recognised ruling houses in Ipetumodu, Osun State, have begun fresh moves to fill the vacant stool of the Apetu of Ipetumodu after obtaining a Certified True Copy of a United States court judgment convicting the town’s monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyede.
Oba Oloyede was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to 56 months in prison. The judgment, delivered by Judge Christopher A. Boyko, also imposed three years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence.
The court ordered the monarch to pay $4.4 million in restitution and approved the forfeiture of a residential property in Medina, Ohio, said to have been acquired with proceeds linked to the offence. An additional $96,006.89 was also ordered forfeited.
Prosecutors said the case involved a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes introduced to support small businesses during the pandemic.
Following the conviction, the Osun State Government said it would await official court documentation before taking any action. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dosu Babatunde, had stated that the government would study the Certified True Copy before deciding on the next steps.
Nearly six months later, representatives of the ruling houses confirmed they had secured the document. The Certified True Copy, endorsed by the Deputy Clerk of the Ohio court, was presented in Osogbo by Prince Olaboye Ayoola on behalf of the families entitled to produce the next Apetumodu.
Ayoola said a formal request for the document was initiated in November 2025 and expressed hope that the state authorities would now act. “With the CTC now in our possession, we believe the appropriate authorities in Osun State can take the necessary steps regarding the stool of Apetumodu,” he said.
He added that plans are underway to meet with Govonor Ademola Adeleke to deliberate on the matter. According to him, the meeting was facilitated by the State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, who advised the ruling houses to suspend a planned protest and pursue dialogue with the government.
