The Digest:
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to take urgent action regarding the stool of the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, who is currently serving a jail term in the United States for fraud. The monarch was sentenced for leading a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programs, causing significant unrest within the Ipetumodu community regarding the future of the traditional seat.
Key Points:
- Governor Adeleke described the situation as an “ugly development” during the State Executive Council meeting.
- The order responds to growing calls from some community members to declare the stool vacant.
- Oba Oloyede was ordered to pay over $4.4 million in restitution after his prison term.
- The case has divided the town, with some kingmakers resisting immediate replacement.
- The state government is now tasked with resolving a complex clash between tradition and legal accountability.
- The decision could set a significant precedent for how traditional institutions handle leaders convicted of crimes.
- The community remains in a state of uneasy calm pending the government’s final decision.
Sources: Nigerian Tribune
