In a dramatic turn of events surrounding the ongoing public controversy over late gospel artist Toluwanisings, his maternal family has broken their silence to counter narratives promoted by the paternal family and viral media commentators.
In a detailed video statement released via his official Instagram page, David Olu Edunjobi, a maternal uncle and long-time mentor to the late singer, set out to “put the record straight.” Outlining a complete timeline from the singer’s infancy to his adult life, Edunjobi leveled heavy accusations of paternal abandonment, questioned the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the singer’s mother, and strongly defended Toluwanisings’ widow amid an escalating burial dispute.
A Formally Recognized Marriage and Northern Tragedy
Addressing what he termed the “Genesis of the story,” Edunjobi clarified that Toluwanisings’ parents met through a mutual client known as Iya Nurse, who brokered the introduction. The relationship led to the pregnancy and birth of Toluwanisings.
However, according to the maternal uncle, tragedy struck shortly after Toluwanisings was born in July 1992.
”There is a need to do proper investigation and uphold the truth,” Edunjobi stated. “After giving birth, his mother spent three months healing and nursing the infant with her maternal family. It was after these initial three months that she relocated to Kano in Northern Nigeria to live under the same roof with her husband.”
Edunjobi revealed that just six months after relocating to Kano, the young mother died suddenly under what the family considers “mysterious circumstances.”
Debunking the Age Myth: “He Was Nine Months Old”
The uncle used the public address to correct widespread viral rumors claiming Toluwanisings’ mother died when he was only three or six months old.
By detailing the three-month nursing period in the South and the six-month cohabitation in the North, Edunjobi established that the singer was exactly nine months old when his mother passed away, a factual correction the maternal family considers crucial to understanding the custody timeline that followed.
Allegations of a 15-Year Paternal Absence
Following the mother’s sudden passing in Kano, the maternal family immediately took custody of the infant, citing doubts over the young father’s capability to nurture a nine-month-old child alone.
Edunjobi alleged that this temporary custody turned into complete paternal absence lasting a decade and a half.
”From the time we took the boy in 1992, his father had absolutely no contact, presence, or relationship with his son until 2007, a total of 15 years, when Toluwanisings’ grandmother passed away,” Edunjobi claimed.
Challenging counter-claims regarding who funded the singer’s education and development, Edunjobi firmly rejected assertions that paternal relatives or external sponsors bankrolled his upbringing. Daring anyone with opposing claims to produce financial receipts, he emphasized that Toluwanisings endured severe hardship, took on various jobs, and relied on maternal backing to attend Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech).
Despite the years of distance, Edunjobi noted that as an adult, Toluwanisings personally took the high road by reaching out to reconcile with and financially support his father later in life.
Defense of the Widow & Critique of Media Exploitation
Turning his attention to the ongoing online controversy and family rift, the maternal uncle delivered a scathing rebuke against content creators and bloggers. He specifically accused media figures of taking advantage of an elderly father to incite family divisions for online traffic.
Edunjobi fiercely defended Toluwanisings’ widow, who has been at the center of intense public scrutiny since the singer’s passing. Calling out specific interviewers for setting up “ring lights” to profit from family grief, he appealed for public decorum.
”Let the family mourn without profiting from this tragedy,” Edunjobi urged, calling for an immediate end to the public vilification of the late singer’s wife.
What Lies Ahead
With both sides of the late gospel singer’s family offering starkly conflicting accounts of his heritage, childhood, and final wishes, the dispute highlights deep-seated tensions now overshadowing Toluwanisings’ musical legacy. As the maternal family calls for a thorough and objective investigation into the truth, observers remain hopeful for a peaceful resolution regarding his final rites.
