Crisis deepens in Ipetumodu as princes clash over fate of US jailed monarch

The Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, has been
sentenced by a U.S. court to 56 months in prison over a
$4.2m COVID-19 relief loan fraud, sparking debates
in Osun State and beyond.
[X, formerly Twitter and Andrew Leyden/Getty Images]

The fate of the Apetumodu stool remains unresolved, heightening tensions in the historic town as both ruling houses brace for a long battle over succession.

Tension flared in Ipetumodu, Osun State, on Tuesday as a meeting of princes ended in chaos over the fate of the jailed monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu of Ipetumodu.

Oba Oloyede was recently sentenced to more than four years’ imprisonment in the United States for COVID-19 loan fraud and ordered to forfeit assets while paying over $4.4 million in restitution.

His conviction has thrown the community into turmoil, with rival factions calling for Governor Ademola Adeleke to declare the throne vacant.

By Segun Adeyemi

Full story at Pulse NG.