Fans and social media users have taken sides in the dispute over where late gospel singer Olayemi Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, should be buried, with some backing his family’s demand for a home burial and others supporting concerns about the implications for his widow and children.
The controversy has generated reactions on Instagram and X, with commenters debating property rights, cultural traditions, the family’s intentions and whether burying the singer in the house he built would affect his wife’s future.
On Instagram, Nollywood actress Kudirat Ogunro, popularly known as Kudi Alagbo, expressed reservations about burying people in residential properties.
The actress with the Instagram handle Semilore Pweety, wrote, “I said it last month, and I’ll say it again: burying people at home isn’t a good idea. Ojú ti là!
“What if the children grow up and decide to sell the house? Who wants to buy a house with a burial ground?
“Yes, people may buy such properties and exhume the remains, but why create that problem in the first place?
“Personally, I don’t think it’s advisable. Just my opinion, though!”
Popular perfumer Wale Jana also opposed the proposed burial arrangement, arguing that the property could be an important financial asset for the singer’s widow and two daughters.
Walejana wrote, “I deliberately blocked out all stories about Toluwanisings because it was just too painful; I couldn’t deal until I began to see that his family members were antagonizing his wife and they are insisting he should be buried in the house he just built.”
Quoting Proverbs 13:22, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,” Walejana argued that the house could provide long-term financial security for the family.
“That house Toluwani built before his death is his biggest investment. Toluwani was a man who loved his family and would have wanted the very best for his wife and two daughters; he was obviously the bread winner of his family. I don’t know about his music royalties but property will always appreciate,” the Instagram user wrote.
Walejana said the widow could rent out the property, convert it into apartments or sell it, but argued that a grave on the premises could complicate those options.
“His wife can decide to rent out the house, convert it to an apartment or simply sell it, but if you bury him there, you have simply tied down the investment!” the user wrote.
Walejana added, “If he had 3 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.”
The user also questioned whether the singer would have wanted his family to face financial difficulties after his death, noting that maintaining the property could be challenging for a widow raising two daughters.
“The family members that are now talking and granting interviews don’t really have Toluwani’s interest at heart, and they are just out for their selfish interests,” Walejana wrote.
The user suggested that the family consider a private burial ground, adding, “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. May God continue to show all of us mercy.”
However, other social media users questioned the widow’s opposition to a burial at the singer’s home.
On X, Akwaugo, who uses the handle #TalkswithAkwa, said she found the widow’s position difficult to understand, arguing that she could continue to enjoy the property and other benefits left by her husband.
“You can live in your husband’s mansion, use his cars, enjoy his properties and benefits from his bank accounts, but you cannot bear to see the grave of the man you shared a life with? Make it make sense!” she wrote.
Akwaugo speculated that the widow might intend to sell the property in the future, adding that the presence of a grave could affect its resale value. The claim was an opinion and was not supported by evidence in the material reviewed.
Another X user, Mum Zee, with the handle #_DebbieOA, also questioned the widow’s position.
“Hold-on, why exactly will Toluwanisings wife refuse to have him buried in his own compound.
“Does she plan to sell the house?
“There’s nothing complicated and sensitive about burying her husband in his own compound.
“Why is she refusing?
“Now she has opened herself up to scrutiny from his family members,” the user wrote.
In contrast, X user Olori, with the handle #”OloriOfOloriss, suggested that the family’s insistence on a home burial could create difficulties for the widow and her children.
The user alleged that relatives who had limited access to the singer during his lifetime might use visits to his grave as a reason to visit the widow’s home frequently.
“Anybody with common sense knows that the plan is to have her bury him in her house so that the access they never had to him in his lifetime can be gained through his death,” Olori wrote.
“They will start showing up uninvited under the guise of paying their respects to his grave, when the real intention is to monitor her, leech off her, and make life difficult for her and her children.”
Olori added, “The moment she complains or tries to set boundaries, she will be labelled evil, wicked and stingy. The plan is very obvious, and I genuinely hope Toluwanisings’ wife never agrees to it!”
Another X user, Foundational Nupe Lawyer, raised legal and public health concerns about burying someone in a residential property.
“Legally speaking, it is a crime to bury someone in a residential building or area without the consent of the Governor of the state. All dead bodies are expected to be buried in a public or privately approved cemeteries,” the user wrote.
The user argued that the rules were intended to address public health and environmental risks, including the possibility of contamination of water sources, and called for the state government’s intervention.
However, the legal claims in the post were not independently verified for this report.
Other users defended the singer’s family, saying its demand for a home burial should not automatically be interpreted as an attempt to control the property.
X user Vampz, with the handle #Hybrid_Ola, wrote, “If Toluwani’s father’s side were wealthy, no one would question their decision. This family has never spoken about property. All they’ve asked for is for Toluwani to be buried in his own house. How is that a problem? A family that is after property would never agree to have him buried on his own property.”
Bayo Bilisi, using the handle #Bayo_Bilisi, also supported the family’s position, arguing that the widow could remain in the house and raise their children there.
“On Toluwanisings issue, the family are not ready to bury him and I say this with my full chest. If the reverse was the case, the lady will be buried in her husband’s compound and everyone will move on,” the user wrote.
The user added, “If she’s not intending to re-marry, she can remain in the house and raise her kids. I have no issues with her re-marrying even after 3 months but you can’t keep that man’s body outside his home.”
Bayo Bilisi also dismissed the widow’s reported concern that living near the grave could be traumatic, comparing it with the other belongings the singer left behind.
“Her excuse of ‘the graveyard will traumatise me’ is also ridiculous, why is the car and other things in the house not reminding you of him?” the user wrote.
The user concluded, “When the family is ready, they will get digger and shovel in a good spot to bury their son.”
Meanwhile, Tosin.X, using the handle #Dontee___, framed the disagreement as a departure from Yoruba burial traditions.
“The yoruba culture is getting eroded..The term ‘Oku ofo’ is used to describe unfortunate and untimely death like that of Toluwanisings. In an ideal Yoruba setting the guy should have been buried immediately or day after but what do we have? families granting interviews. I’m pissed!” the user wrote.
The reactions followed reports of disagreement among the singer’s relatives over his burial arrangements. His father, Muniru Adekunle Olayemi, had said he wanted his son buried in the house he built or beside his late mother in Osun State.
The dispute has also unfolded against the backdrop of other family concerns following the singer’s death. His grandmother, Sabitiyu Olayemi, had alleged that he neglected her for years, while a man who identified himself as his uncle, Lawal Ademola, called for an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.