Gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, widely known as Toluwanisings, is being buried in Ibadan today, Monday, November 9, 2026, nearly four weeks after he died suddenly at the age of 41.
An order of funeral arrangements shared on his official Instagram page set the lying-in-state for 9am to 10am, followed by a burial service from 10am to 11am at Banjola Event and Conference Centre, No. 20 Hope Road, Alakia, Ibadan. The poster carried the words “Forever in our Hearts, always in our Lives.” It did not state where the interment itself would take place.
The family announced his death in a statement posted on his social media accounts:
“With deep sorrow, the family announces the passing of Minister Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, Toluwani Gospel Music Ministry (TOGOMM), who passed away in the early hours of 14 October 2026. A dearly loved husband, family member, and gospel singer.”
They asked the public to keep his wife, children and loved ones in prayer. No official cause of death has been released.
His personal assistant, Babadunni Gbolabo, later claimed the singer collapsed at home in Ibadan after leading worship the previous night and that several hospitals turned him away. Those claims have not been independently confirmed, and the University College Hospital said it had no record of him. The family has called for an investigation into the circumstances of the death.
The weeks that followed were marked by a public disagreement over where he should be laid to rest. His father, Muniru Olayemi, said he wanted his son buried in the house he built in Ibadan or beside his late mother in Ikirun, Osun State.
“I don’t want him buried in a church or cemetery. I want him buried in his house, and that will make me happy,” the father was quoted as saying.
He later added that if a home burial was not possible, the remains should be taken to the village and buried beside the singer’s mother. The widow, Mrs Elizabeth Damilola Olayemi (also referred to as Akanbi Elizabeth), was said to prefer a cemetery or church ground, reportedly because she would not be comfortable living in a house that contained her husband’s grave. Paternal relatives also demanded that burial be delayed pending an investigation.
Tensions spilled onto social media and prompted police intervention. On November 3, the Oyo State Police Command brokered a peace undertaking signed by the widow, the father, and associates including Oyindamola Esther, Babadunni Gbolabo and Lawal Ademola Rafiu. The parties agreed to end public exchanges, interviews and social media posts about the dispute
.Earlier reports indicated the family eventually agreed to bury him at his Ibadan residence. A memorial service had already been held on October 27 at the Hall of Grace, Jogor Centre.
Toluwanisings was known for energetic Yoruba-inflected praise performances and songs including Unreserved Praise, A Very Big God, Onibuore, E Lagbara and Owo Re Meji Meji. He had survived a road accident with members of his band only months earlier. He leaves behind his wife and two young daughters.