A fresh paternity dispute has emerged involving the three children of the late Nigerian comedian and broadcaster Gbenga Adeboye, 23 years after his death, with members of his family calling for DNA tests to establish their biological relationship with him.
The controversy was triggered by claims from the comedian’s sister, Sayo Adeboye, who alleged that her brother revealed while on his sickbed that Igwe was his only biological son.
Sayo made the disclosure during an interview on Baba Olomi TV, where she appeared alongside another sister, Seun, to respond to recent allegations levelled against the family by Adeboye’s widow, Omolara.
“Brother Gbenga told Bro Femi that Igwe was his only son, but my brother did not come out openly to say it,” Sayo claimed.
She challenged Omolara to submit the children for DNA testing to establish their paternity.
“Lara, go and repent. Jesus is coming soon. We need DNA tests; we need to know the real biological child,” she said.
The claim has not been substantiated by DNA evidence.
The fresh dispute began after Omolara appeared on the Kasnaty Show, hosted by broadcaster Kolawole Adejojo, and accused members of her late husband’s family of abandoning her after his death and interfering with his property.
She alleged that Adeboye’s brother, Femi, took documents relating to a house built by the comedian and subsequently claimed to have handed them to the head of the family.
“When I asked him about them, he kept saying he would bring them, but it later resulted in a big fight. He eventually told me he had given them to the head of their family,” she said.
Omolara also alleged that she was informed Femi had visited a herbalist in Ibadan to obtain charms against her.
She denied longstanding rumours that she remarried after Adeboye’s death, saying she remained unmarried and struggled emotionally following the loss.
“When my husband died, I could not mourn him. I was depressed, I was sad,” she said.
However, the comedian’s sisters disputed her account and levelled fresh allegations concerning events surrounding his final illness.
Sayo alleged that Omolara once brought an Islamic cleric from Ibadan who performed a ritual involving a hen, blood and a black substance.
She also claimed that Omolara offered Adeboye tea while he was hospitalised despite medical advice concerning his condition.
“There was a day she gave him tea. I was not there, but the nurse told me. When I confronted her, she said he was hungry and had requested tea,” Sayo alleged.
The sister further questioned the authenticity of letters presented by Omolara during her interview, arguing that the documents appeared unusually well preserved.
Seun, meanwhile, alleged that valuables were removed from Adeboye’s home while relatives were at the hospital. She also rejected suggestions that her late brother belonged to the Ogboni fraternity or engaged in fetish practices.
Addressing allegations that she neglected her husband during his illness, Omolara said she arranged for someone identified as Festus to take him to hospital after he initially resisted treatment.
She maintained that she visited and cared for him but was not informed when he was transferred to another hospital.
Adeboye’s son, Igwe, also defended his mother, describing the emotional difficulties she experienced after his father’s death.
“My mum was depressed after our dad’s death. She sometimes forgot our closing time and to send a driver to pick us up from school. My mum did not relocate; she was here mourning my dad,” he said.
The conflicting accounts have revived a family dispute that has persisted since the comedian’s death.
Gbenga Adeboye, popularly known as Funwontan, was one of Nigeria’s most celebrated Yoruba comedians and broadcasters.
Born on 30 September 1959 in Ode-Omu, Osun State, he became famous through his radio programmes and performances, earning nicknames including Alhaji Pastor Oluwo and Abefe.
He died on 30 April 2003, aged 43, following an illness reportedly linked to kidney disease.
