Prophet arraigned for filming corpse of late singer Toluwanisings
The Oyo State Police Command has arraigned two men over the unauthorised recording and circulation of the corpse of late gospel singer Olayemi Bayonle Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings.
The spokesperson of the command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, who confirmed this to newsmen, said one of the suspects, Prophet Moses Idowu, was arrested after visiting a morgue where the singer’s corpse was kept, claiming to possess spiritual powers to resurrect a deceased person.
Olayinka said the suspect recorded a video of the deceased’s body and subsequently circulated the footage online without the consent of the deceased’s family, thereby subjecting the remains to indignity and causing further distress to the bereaved family.”
The command added that Idowu also allegedly made publications accusing the singer’s wife, Olayemi Elizabeth Damilola, and his manager of being responsible for his death, “without any substantiated evidence to support such claims”.
Consequently, he was arraigned on four counts bordering on unlawful recording and publication of false information, defamation, indignity to a deceased human body and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The court ordered that Idowu be remanded at the Correctional Centre, while the case was adjourned until December 2, 2026, for further proceedings.
In a related development, the command said it arrested the second suspect, content creator, Oladapo Joshua Dunminimnun, over alleged false and defamatory publications on social media.
According to the police, the suspect circulated videos accusing the deceased’s personal assistant and family members of being responsible for his death.
The command said investigation revealed that Dunminimnun continued making the publications despite being aware of an undertaking signed by concerned parties restraining individuals from making publications about the deceased through print or other media.
It added that the publications continued despite “several warnings and cautions issued by both the family and the Police against the circulation of unverified information”.
Dunminimnun was arraigned on charges bordering on the publication of false news on Facebook, unlawful publication of defamatory matter and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The court adjourned his case until December 11, 2026, for further proceedings.
The command expressed concern over the circulation of unverified allegations and sensitive images on social media, particularly in matters involving death and grieving families.
“The command cautions members of the public, social media users and content creators against using digital platforms to spread false information, circulate sensitive images of deceased persons or make reckless allegations against individuals without credible evidence,” the statement said.
It urged members of the public to respect the dignity of the dead, show consideration for bereaved families and allow established investigative and judicial processes to determine issues surrounding suspicious deaths.
Toluwanisings died in Ibadan on October 14, 2026, after reportedly slumping.