Gospel singer Lanre Alewilese has apologised to Elizabeth Akanbi, wife of late singer Toluwanisings, over his decision to organise a N6m fundraising campaign for Shadrach Taiwo, a UK-based relative of the deceased, to support his education.
Alewilese issued the apology in a statement posted on his Facebook page following the controversy surrounding the financial support for Shadrach’s studies in the United Kingdom.
He also addressed the matter in an Instagram video on Wednesday, explaining that he facilitated the fundraising after Shadrach told him that Toluwanisings had promised to pay his £6,500 school fees shortly before his death.
The controversy started after an Instagram user, Yinka TNT, shared an audio recording purportedly featuring Toluwanisings expressing concerns about the financial burden of sponsoring Shadrach’s education in the UK.
In the recording, the late singer was allegedly heard saying he had spent about N12m on the young man’s education and could no longer afford to continue funding it.
Yinka TNT also alleged that Toluwanisings had fallen out with members of his maternal family over the issue.
The matter gained further attention on Wednesday when Yinka TNT shared a payment receipt showing a transfer of N6m to Shadrach days after the singer’s death.
The disclosure attracted criticism of Alewilese, with some accusing him of going against the late singer by supporting members of his maternal family.
However, in his Instagram video, Alewilese said he was unaware that Shadrach was not Toluwanisings’ biological sibling until after the singer’s death.
He explained that Toluwanisings had introduced Shadrach to him as his full brother and had never indicated otherwise.
“Before Toluwani died, he introduced Shadrach Taiwo to me as his sibling from the same father and mother. He never told anyone about their relationship. This was the same boy that played the role of best man at his wedding,” he said.
Alewilese said Toluwanisings had previously approached him for assistance in facilitating Shadrach’s travel to the United States, although the plan did not materialise.
He added that he later learnt Shadrach had secured admission to a UK institution and that the late singer had been paying his tuition fees annually.
Recounting events following Toluwanisings’ death, Alewilese said he was in the UK when he obtained Shadrach’s contact details from a member of the deceased’s band.
He said he advised the young man to be cautious and prepare to assume the responsibility of a father figure to the late singer’s children.
According to Alewilese, Shadrach told him he was shocked by Toluwanisings’ death and disclosed that they had spoken three days earlier, during which the singer promised to pay his £6,500 school fees.
He also said Shadrach informed him that his visa was due to expire at the end of October and that the UK Home Office had been asking him to renew it.
Alewilese explained that he could not immediately discuss the matter with Toluwanisings’ wife, prompting him to create a group to solicit financial support for Shadrach.
He said contributors donated believing that Shadrach was a blood relative of the deceased, adding that the fundraising took place before information about the family dispute emerged from Ikirun.
“I could not tell the wife about the situation, so I opened a group where we started soliciting funds for the brother. People were rendering support with the mindset that Shadrach was a blood relation of Toluwani. This was even before any information came from Ikirun,” he said.
In his Facebook statement, titled “PUBLIC APOLOGY AND CLARIFICATION”, which was uploaded on Wednesday, Alewilese admitted that he acted impulsively by helping to raise money for Shadrach’s school fees based on the information available to him at the time.
He wrote, “First and foremost, I, Lanre Alewilese, wish to publicly tender my sincere apology to Damilola Elizabeth, wife of the late Toluwanisings, as well as to my colleagues, actors, and actresses in the movie industry, for acting impulsively regarding Taiwo’s situation by helping to raise money towards his school fees, based on the evidence and information presented to me at the time.”
He maintained that his actions were not driven by deception or personal interest, insisting that he acted in good faith and wanted to ensure the late singer’s efforts towards his brother’s education were not wasted.
“My intention was never to mislead anyone, create controversy, or take advantage of the situation. I acted out of concern, compassion, and a desire to ensure that the efforts of someone I deeply respected were not wasted,” he added.
Alewilese also accepted responsibility for how he handled the situation, expressing regret that he had not exercised better judgement before getting involved.
“I sincerely regret any misunderstanding, hurt, or disappointment my actions may have caused. I take responsibility for my approach and hope this clarification helps everyone understand the genuine intentions behind my involvement. Once again, I sincerely apologise to everyone who may have been affected by this situation.”
Toluwanisings died on October 14 after reportedly being turned away by some hospitals while seeking medical attention.
His death was followed by a disagreement over his burial arrangements, which was eventually resolved after the Oyo State Police Command secured a peace undertaking from the parties involved. He was subsequently buried at his residence on Monday.