Barely days after late gospel singer Olayemi Bayonle Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, was laid to rest at his residence in Ibadan on November 9, 2026, a fresh wave of controversy has erupted online following the emergence of over 60 leaked voice notes detailing intense financial pressure, internal family disputes, and shifting alliances among his relatives.
The recordings, obtained and shared in batches on social media by online commentator Yinka TNT, purport to capture private exchanges between the late singer and members of his maternal family, shedding light on strained relationships that preceded his sudden passing in October.
Inside the Leaked Recordings
In one of the most widely circulated recordings attributed to Toluwanisings, the late singer is heard lamenting what he described as overwhelming financial demands from his maternal relatives, mentioning requests ranging between ₦6 million and ₦12 million.
Speaking in an emotional tone, the voice attributed to the singer states that the financial strain forced him to suspend plans to establish a business for his wife, Elizabeth, while struggling to meet recurring expectations from extended family members. At a point in the audio, the speaker expresses deep distress over the pressure, asking whether he was expected to take his own life to escape the burden.
Other clips in the series center on disputes surrounding the singer’s maternal cousin, Taiwo Olawoyin (commonly referred to as Taye), whose relocation and education in the United Kingdom became a major flashpoint. According to details shared alongside the recordings, Toluwanisings had previously committed significant funds, reportedly around £16,000,btoward Taye’s UK tuition.
In a separate viral audio clip allegedly recorded by Taye’s mother, the speaker strongly rebukes the late singer after he reportedly suggested that Taye return to Nigeria to seek employment if keeping up with foreign expenses had become unsustainable. Dismissing the weight of his financial support, the female voice is heard saying, “Even if it is ₦50 million you have spent on Taye, is it too much?”
The speaker in the same recording accuses the late singer of ignoring family phone calls and reminds him of a past incident in which she stood as surety to bail him out of an Egbeda police station, arguing that his obligations to the family outweighed his complaints.
Old Wounds: The Dispute Over His Mother’s Death
The post burial leaks come on the heels of an earlier war of words between both sides of the singer’s extended family over his childhood and the circumstances of his mother’s death more than three decades ago.
Prior to the burial, maternal uncle Babatunde Olaloye granted interviews challenging the paternal family’s narrative. According to the maternal uncle, Toluwanisings’ mother spent three months with her own family after giving birth before traveling to Kano to join her husband, Muniru Adekunle Olayemi—where she died six months later when the child was nine months old. The maternal family described the timeline of her death as suspicious, alleging that the paternal side failed to adequately explain what happened to her and claiming they single-handedly raised the singer after his father failed to show up.
Conversely, the singer’s father stated that he was legally married to the deceased woman, that she died when Toluwanisings was about six months old, and that her family had requested to take the infant to console themselves after her remains were brought back from Kano.
Battle Over the Widow and a Shifting Alliance
In the weeks immediately following Toluwanisings’ death, the public standoff appeared to pit his widow, Akanbi Elizabeth, squarely against his paternal family in Ikirun, Osun State. While the singer’s father and paternal elders insisted on burying him at the Ibadan residence he built and demanded a probe into his sudden collapse Elizabeth initially favored a cemetery burial, saying she could not bear seeing his grave daily inside the house. During that period, the maternal relatives who had raised the singer positioned themselves closely around the widow, openly challenging the paternal family’s authority.
However, events took a dramatic turn around the time of the Oyo State Police-mediated peace settlement and the eventual November 9 home burial. According to accounts shared by maternal family spokesperson Babatunde Olaloye, Elizabeth later visited the paternal family in Ikirun and allegedly told them that the maternal side had been responsible for fueling the tension between her and her father-in-law’s household.
By pushing back against pressure from the maternal relatives who raised her late husband and aligning with her father-in-law’s family, despite their earlier public loggerheads, Elizabeth effectively broke ranks with the maternal camp. Outraged by her visit to Ikirun, the maternal family granted media interviews accusing the widow of trying to tarnish their image, a move that observers say triggered the retaliatory release of the late singer’s private voice notes online.
Rebuttals and Industry Reactions
In another leaked voice note attributed to Taiwo Olawoyin, the cousin denies allegations that he influenced the late singer against financially empowering his wife, insisting that Toluwanisings made his own independent decisions as an adult and maintaining that funds he received from the singer were loans.
Meanwhile, fellow gospel singer Lanre Alewilese posted a video statement apologizing to fans and explaining why he previously raised ₦6 million to assist Taye abroad, stating he had been led to believe Taye was Toluwanisings’ biological brother facing deportation.
What Could Be Behind the Widow’s Change of Mind?
Elizabeth’s decision to reconcile with her father-in-law’s family after weeks of bitter disagreement has sparked intense debate. Several overlapping factors likely explain her pivot:
Discovering the Extent of the Financial Strain (Knowing the Truth): Having access to her late husband’s phone, financial records, and private messages after his passing may have revealed the full scale of the demands placed on him, including why plans to fund her own business were repeatedly stalled. Realizing who was actually draining her husband’s resources could have fundamentally altered her view of where the real friction in their marriage originated.
Securing Autonomy and Freedom for Herself and Her Children: In many Nigerian extended family disputes following a breadwinner’s death, a widow risks being controlled or isolated by whichever faction claims primary custody over the deceased’s legacy and estate. By refusing to remain boxed into the maternal camp’s narrative and reaching out directly to her late husband’s biological father, Elizabeth prevented one faction from monopolizing her and her two daughters.
Cultural Legitimacy and Doing What Is Right: Under Yoruba traditional and family structures, a man’s father and paternal lineage hold primary customary authority over burial rites and family continuity. Once the Oyo State Police intervened and emotions cooled, agreeing to bury Toluwanisings in his own house and visiting his elders in Ikirun offered a path to restore traditional order, honor her late husband’s bloodline, and ensure her children maintain a recognized link to their paternal roots.
Balancing Both Sides After Police Mediation:
Rather than choosing permanent hostility, her outreach to Ikirun may also reflect a pragmatic effort to neutralize a damaging standoff. Having already endured public backlash during the burial delay, making peace with the paternal side removed the biggest obstacle to laying her husband to rest with dignity.
