Saida, the mother of late Afrobeat singer Afeez Adeshina, popularly known as Destiny Boy, has opened up about what led to her son’s death.
Naija News reports that she shared her account in a video that started making rounds online on Monday.
According to her, Destiny Boy had been battling a strange long-term illness known as Ogu oru, which often caused him to have seizures.
She said the sickness had troubled him for a long time and affected his health badly. Saida explained that the illness returned shortly after the singer welcomed his child.
She said about four days after the baby’s naming ceremony, they visited a traditional ruler, Oba Edu Ifayomi, who had earlier initiated Destiny Boy and treated him like a son.
The monarch had asked them to come and collect a ram for the naming ceremony.
It was during that visit that the sickness struck again and made him collapse.
She said they rushed him to the hospital, and Oba Edu advised that he should be treated properly.
The monarch also kept sending money to support his care, even when he was moved to two other hospitals.
When his condition did not improve, the family decided to try traditional treatment.
Oba Edu asked them to bring Destiny Boy to his place, and Saida said she was the one who gave him soap to bathe.
After returning from there, she said her son looked fine again for a while. She added that the illness often caused seizures and sometimes made him act strangely.
According to her, the family always stayed close to calm him down and stop him from running out during such moments.
Saida denied rumours that her son was involved in money rituals.
She said people spreading such stories were only using his death to gain attention.
She added that the family hid his illness from the public because he was a well-known singer.
They also took him to different herbalists and clerics in the hope of curing him completely.
She said that on Saturday, a day before his death, Destiny Boy was still active.
He bought things for people, greeted fans, and even said he had a show scheduled for Sunday.
When he had another seizure, Oba Edu was not around at the time.
He had travelled to Ife but returned immediately after hearing about the singer’s condition.
She said he would not have gone to Ife if Destiny Boy had been well.
His father was also invited before he was taken to the hospital.
Watch video below:
Destiny Boy died on Sunday at the age of 22.
The news of his death became public after a video showing his lifeless body appeared on social media.
The young singer became popular in 2019 after releasing a Fuji-style cover of Davido’s hit song If.
