Beyond grief and controversy, a call for truth, accountability and responsibility.
VITAL OBITER®
The Diary of a Roving Counsel
Some tragedies are unavoidable. Others demand investigation. Our response must be guided by compassion, truth and principle, not sentiment alone.
The death of gospel singer Toluwanisings on October 14, 2026, is profoundly painful. A young husband and father is gone, leaving behind a grieving wife, children and extended family.
May God comfort them.
But grief must not silence questions that could save another life.
On October 15, his personal assistant recounted taking him to seven or eight hospitals in Ibadan seeking emergency medical attention.
FOURTEEN DAYS LATER, WHERE IS THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT?
Saturday PUNCH reported that when contacted on October 16, Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said she was unaware of the incident.
PUNCH also sought a response from Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade. He neither answered the newspaper’s calls nor responded to its WhatsApp enquiry.
As I write on October 29, I have found no subsequent official statement announcing an investigation.
UCH reportedly said it had no record of Toluwanisings being brought there. But what of the other hospitals?
Which facilities were visited? What assistance was requested? What responses were given?
WHO IS ESTABLISHING THE FACTS?
This is not about pronouncing anyone guilty. It is about government’s responsibility to investigate serious allegations and communicate its findings.
Consider Michael Jackson. Following his death in 2009, his physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was investigated, prosecuted and convicted of involuntary manslaughter. His Texas medical licence was subsequently revoked.
The circumstances are not identical. The lesson is that accountability requires investigation, evidence and due process.
WHY SHOULD NIGERIANS EXPECT ANYTHING LESS?
Meanwhile, Toluwanisings’ paternal relatives have demanded an investigation and postponement of burial. Disagreements over burial arrangements have also become public.
These developments are distressing for an already grieving family. I pray for reconciliation.
But the demand for investigation must not be reduced to a burial dispute. Where questions of possible foul play arise, the appropriate authorities should determine whether a coroner’s inquiry or post-mortem examination is required under the law.
WHO IS GUIDING THIS FAMILY?
I have also watched people, including journalists, condemn bloggers for reporting the controversy.
But did bloggers cause the tragedy? Did they create the family disagreement?
THE PUNCH, VANGUARD, THE GUARDIAN, PREMIUM TIMES AND LEADERSHIP HAVE REPORTED THESE DEVELOPMENTS. THISDAY HAS ALSO COVERED HIS DEATH.
Are these established newspapers also to be condemned?
The press is the Fourth Estate of the Realm. Its duty includes informing society and scrutinising institutions.
Certainly, journalists and bloggers must verify facts, respect privacy, distinguish allegations from established findings and avoid sensationalism.
But responsible reporting of uncomfortable realities is not wrongdoing.
When government suppresses legitimate journalism, we protest. Why should citizens seek to silence the press for reporting matters of public interest?
THE PRESS DID NOT CREATE THESE EVENTS. ITS DUTY IS TO REPORT THEM RESPONSIBLY.
Permit me a personal word.
My first newspaper article was published on June 10, 1988, when I was 18. I am 56 today.
For nearly four decades, I have contributed public commentary to virtually every major Nigerian newspaper.
I mention this not to claim superior knowledge, but to explain my concern about attacks on legitimate reporting.
I understand the press’s imperfections, its responsibilities and the soft power of sustained public enlightenment: the capacity of responsible words to awaken conscience and demand accountability.
I have written about this tragedy before. I will continue asking questions until credible answers emerge.
Not for attention, but because public accountability cannot depend on whether our questions make others uncomfortable.
Those who promote what is wrong do not always tire of speaking. Why should those committed to what is right retreat into silence for fear of being misunderstood?
Those concerned about the family should encourage reconciliation. Those concerned about journalism should insist on responsible reporting.
But those concerned about human life must demand answers.
What happened during the reported search for emergency care?
Were there systemic failures?
What has the Oyo State Government done to establish the facts?
What reforms will prevent a recurrence?
THE CENTRAL QUESTION IS NOT WHO REPORTED THE TRAGEDY. IT IS WHAT OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE DOING ABOUT IT.
Today, it is Toluwanisings. Tomorrow, it could be any of us.
If the saying, “You are only as good as your last match,” holds true, what does the experience surrounding Toluwanisings’ death tell us about the Nigerian healthcare system?
We have every reason to demand answers. And every reason to be concerned.
An African proverb warns:
“Your chickens are not safe when your neighbours go to bed hungry.”
The suffering we ignore today may become our own tomorrow.
That is why we must not abandon the leprosy while chasing ringworm.
UNTIL THE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED, WE MUST NOT STOP ASKING THEM.
A word is enough for the wise.
Shalom.
Enlightenment is Superior to Enforcement®
