Osun State Government has dismissed a report that it has deposed Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede.
This is in reaction to a claim which went viral on social media on Monday, purporting that Oba Oloyede had been deposed by the state government.
The reports that Oba Oloyede, 62 at the time the judgment was delivered on August 26, 2025, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, was sentenced to 56 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko.
He was convicted of leading a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes designed to assist struggling small businesses.
After the judgment had been delivered, in an exclusive chat with The on August 27, 2025, the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dosu Babatunde, said the government would not act based on social media reports but would wait for the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
But the state government, in dissociating itself from the controversial statement, a release signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Olufemi Ogundun, obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday, said the piece that claimed that the monarch had been deposed did not emanate from it.
“The attention of the Osun State Government has been drawn to a fake press release in circulation on the purported deposition of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu.
“The press release did not emanate from the Ministry of Information and Public Enlightenment or the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and members of the general public and particularly indigenes of Ipetumodu, are advised to disregard the fake viral story.
“The State Government has had useful and meaningful consultation and dialogue with stakeholders of Ipetumodu, and steps are being taken in line with the rule of law, which is the cornerstone of the present administration in the State,” Ogundun’s statement read.
On the government’s plan, the statement further stated, “At the appropriate time, the general public and indigenes of Ipetumodu will be informed of the action of Government on the issue through the appropriate channels of communication.”