Burial dispute delays Toluwanisings’ final farewell

The burial controversy surrounding late gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, intensified on Tuesday as family members and admirers gathered in Ibadan for a night of tributes and service of songs held in his honour.

The event, held at the Hall of Grace, Jogor Centre, drew gospel artistes, actors, family members and friends who paid glowing tributes to the singer, describing him as a humble, joyful and compassionate man whose life touched many.

Actress Bimbo Oshin, while addressing mourners, expressed sadness over his passing and prayed for the repose of his soul.

“It is sad. Toluwanisings, we love you. I know you are with your Maker, I know you are singing with the angels. May God rest your precious soul,” she said.

Gospel singer Peterson Okopi remembered the late musician as a man who made everyone feel important.

“We were blessed with a brother, friend and family who knew how to make everyone feel special. Toluwani never segregates; he was always bubbly and happy. Anytime you saw him, he just poured joy on you,” Okopi said.

The ceremony featured musical performances by renowned gospel artistes, including Adeyinka Alaseyori, who performed Ase Ti Jade, a song she recorded with the deceased. Esther Igbekele also ministered in songs, while Sarah Apekeola delivered an emotional rendition of Toluwanisings’ hit song, Iba.

One of the most touching moments came when a member of the singer’s band shared how he supported her during years of waiting for the fruit of the womb. Speaking while holding her baby on stage, she described Toluwanisings as a source of encouragement and strength.

His widow, Elizabeth Akanbi, also broke down in tears while paying tribute to her husband.

“Toluwanisings, my dear husband, I will forever miss you. Please do not forget your children and I, she said, fighting back tears.

However, the outpouring of love and emotion has been overshadowed by the growing disagreement over where the singer should be buried.

Speaking at the event, gospel singer Laolu Gbenjo warned against turning the situation into a prolonged public controversy.

“Don’t turn Toluwani into Mohbad. That madness on TikTok and Instagram must stop. If you are jobless, go and look for a job,” he said.

The dispute pits the singer’s paternal family against his widow over his final resting place. His father, Adekunle Olayemi, has insisted that Toluwanisings should be buried in the Ibadan home he built and lived in with his family. Alternatively, he said the remains should be taken to Ikirun, Osun State, and buried beside the singer’s late mother.

“If they won’t allow him to be buried inside his house, they should bring him down to the village where his mother is and bury him beside her,” the father said.

The family in several viral videos, has also publicly rejected suggestions of a cemetery burial and renewed calls for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death on October 14 after he reportedly slumped at his Ibadan residence.

The disagreement has delayed the burial arrangements, and announcement of a new date, with the family opposing a planned interment on Wednesday, October 28.

The claims about access to emergency care generated public concern, but the circumstances surrounding his death have not been conclusively established in any report.

As of press time, neither a new burial date nor an agreed burial location had been officially announced, leaving admirers waiting for a resolution as tributes continue to pour in for the late gospel minister.

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