Businessman Wale Jana has weighed in on the growing disagreement among family members over where late gospel singer Bayonle Bolaji Olayemi, popularly known as Toluwanisings, should be buried, urging them to consider the welfare of his widow and two daughters.
The controversy surrounding the singer’s burial arrangements has intensified, with members of his paternal family insisting that he should be buried in a house, while his wife has reportedly opposed the idea, preferring a cemetery or church-owned burial ground.
The disagreement has also been compounded by calls from the singer’s family for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death on October 14.
In a statement issued by his uncle, Comrade Lawal Ademola Rauf, the family called for the postponement of the planned burial, insisting that no funeral should take place until a thorough investigation had been conducted.
The family also expressed its preference for the singer to be buried at his residence in Ibadan, where his wife and children currently live.
However, the late singer’s father, Muniru Adekunle Olayemi, had earlier expressed a desire for his son to be buried either in the house he built before his death or beside his late mother in Osun State.
Adding another dimension to the controversy, Toluwanisings’ grandmother, Sabitiyu Olayemi, also opposed the idea of burying him in a cemetery, insisting that his remains should be laid to rest in a house.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Dunmininu in Osun State, the grandmother recalled helping to care for the singer and his mother before he moved to Lagos. She, however, alleged that she had not seen him for more than five years before his death.
The family disagreements have since drawn reactions from members of the public, including Jana, who argued that burying the singer in the only house he built could undermine the financial future of his immediate family.
In a statement addressing the controversy, Jana said he had initially avoided reports about the singer’s death because of how painful the news was.
However, he said the disagreement between the family and the widow prompted him to speak out.
“I deliberately blocked out all stories about Toluwani’s things because it was just too painful; I couldn’t deal with it until I began to see that his family members were antagonising his wife, and they are insisting he should be buried in the house he just built,” he said.
Jana described the property as the singer’s biggest investment, arguing that it could provide financial security for his wife and daughters if preserved as an income-generating asset.
“That house Toluwani built before his death is his biggest investment. Toluwani loved his family and would have wanted the best for his wife and two daughters; he was clearly the breadwinner. I don’t know about music royalties, but property will always appreciate,” he said.
He added that the widow could rent out the property, convert it into an apartment or sell it in the future, depending on her family’s needs.
“His wife can decide to rent out the house, convert it to an apartment or sell it, but if you bury him there, you have tied down the investment! If he had three houses or more, he would have had the luxury of being buried in one of those houses, but don’t bury a man in the only house he has built; you will make it very difficult for his widow and children to enjoy the investment the man left behind,” Jana said.
The businessman further questioned whether the singer would have wanted his wife and children to face additional financial challenges following his death.
“Would Toluwani want his wife and children to suffer? I don’t know what the wife does for a living, but it’s certainly going to be challenging for a widow with two daughters to maintain that kind of property,” he added.
Jana also criticised family members who had publicly expressed their positions on the burial arrangements, accusing them of failing to prioritise the interests of the singer’s immediate family. He urged them to consider a private burial ground as an alternative to interring him in a residential property.
“The family members now talking and giving interviews don’t really have Toluwani’s interests at heart; they are just out for selfish gain. There are lots of private luxury burial grounds, and I suggest the family choose a befitting one, but don’t tie down a man’s investment because he died early. Death is so cruel,” he said.
He concluded with a prayer for divine mercy, as the disagreement over the late singer’s final resting place continues to draw attention.
