Uncertainty in Ipetumodu as Families Fight Over Succession to Jailed Monarch

Tension gripped Ipetumodu in Osun State on Tuesday after a meeting of princes ended in chaos over the fate of the town’s traditional throne, following the conviction of the Apetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, in the United States.

Oba Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, was recently sentenced to more than four years in prison for COVID-19 loan fraud and ordered to forfeit assets alongside restitution of over \$4.4 million. His conviction, confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on August 26, has unsettled the town and sparked a succession battle between the two royal lineages, Aribile and Fagbemokun.

At the meeting, Prince Olaboye Ayoola of the Aribile Ruling House called on Chief Sunday Adedeji, the most senior kingmaker, to notify Governor Ademola Adeleke and declare the throne vacant. Adedeji rejected the demand, saying he would not be part of such a decision. The disagreement quickly escalated into a heated exchange among the princes, forcing the gathering to break up without resolution. Briefly addressing reporters, Adedeji said only that peace must prevail before any steps are taken.

The Aribile family insists that the throne should remain with their lineage until the convicted monarch completes his sentence, while the Fagbemokun family argues that tradition dictates the crown should now pass to them. The state government has said it will review a Certified True Copy of the U.S. court judgment before making its position known.