NIGERIA

Tope Alabi Gives Canada Pastor 24 Hours To Apologise Over Toluwanisings Death Claims Or Face Lawsuit

Gospel singer Tope Alabi has threatened to sue a Canada-based pastor over social media allegations linking her to the death of gospel minister Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, and other ministers.

What The Lawyers Sent

Her solicitors, Oakmount Legal Practitioners, issued a cease-and-desist letter dated 24 October 2026. The letter was sent to the operator of the Facebook page, Pastor Tayo Ministries, identified as Tayo Kumuyi, also known as Pastor Tayo Ministries.

The letter is titled “Cease and Desist: Malicious and Defamatory Publications and Threats Against Our Client”. It described itself as a final demand for immediate removal, retraction and apology within twenty-four (24) hours.

According to the legal document, posts published between 20 October and 24 October allegedly accused Alabi of involvement in murder and ritual killing, including claims linking her to the deaths of several gospel ministers.

Why Alabi Says The Claims Are False

Rejecting the allegations, the lawyers wrote, “These statements accuse our client of murder and of ritual killing. There is no more serious allegation that can be made against a person, least of all a minister of the gospel. They are false in every particular.”

They challenged the publisher to provide evidence for the claims, stating, “You have produced no evidence, because none exists. No investigation, police finding or court decision supports a word of them.”

The letter added that Alabi “privately and publicly mourned the late Toluwanisings, and had no part in his death or in the death of anyone else”.

Toluwanisings passed away on 14 October 2026 at the age of 41. His death caused grief across the gospel music community in Nigeria and beyond.

The 24-Hour Demand And The Threat Post

Alabi’s lawyers demanded that the pastor remove the publications, issue an unconditional retraction and publish a public apology on the same Facebook page, pinned for 14 consecutive days.

They also warned that living outside Nigeria would not shield the pastor from legal consequences.

The solicitors also flagged a post the pastor allegedly made after Alabi issued a public warning on 23 October against defamatory statements. That post read: “TOPE ALABI, NO LETTER WILL SAVE YOU FROM MY HAND. Your only option is leaving your hiding place.”

The lawyers described that statement as a threat and said it could be presented as evidence of an intention to continue the alleged harassment and defamation.

Earlier Warning On 23 October

Before this cease-and-desist letter, Alabi had already shared a public notice on 23 October 2026 on her Instagram page, issued by the same law firm. That notice warned that anyone who publishes or shares false and defamatory statements about her could face liability, even if they only share the content.

The notice described Alabi as a gospel minister, recording artist, songwriter, actress and public figure of national and international repute. It said she had spent almost 30 years building her reputation, adding that her “reputation is a valuable personal and professional asset, and it is protected by law”.

What Happens Next

Accusing the page operator of exploiting public grief, the solicitors wrote, “You have taken the grief of a bereaved family and a nation, and turned it into a weapon against an innocent woman, for reasons best known to you.”

They also dismissed the claim that the posts were divine revelations, saying that presenting allegations as spiritual revelations did not automatically exempt them from legal scrutiny.

As of now, all eyes are on whether the Facebook page will remove the posts, retract and apologise within the 24 hours, or whether Alabi will proceed to court.

Nigerians are encouraged to rely on official statements and court documents rather than unverified social media claims, especially on sensitive matters involving death and grief.