A family dispute involving the late Yoruba comedian and broadcaster, Gbenga Adeboye, has resurfaced 23 years after his death, with his sisters demanding DNA tests to establish the paternity of his widow’s children.
Advertisement
The controversy followed an interview granted by the comedian’s widow, Omolara Adeboye, in which she accused her late husband’s relatives of abandoning her after his death and attempting to take control of his properties.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Omolara specifically alleged that Femi, her late husband’s brother, removed documents relating to a house built by the comedian and later claimed to have handed them over to the family head.
According to her, Femi regularly visited the family while they were living in Olowura but took the documents when relatives allegedly came to pack some of the late comedian’s belongings after they relocated.
“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.
The widow also dismissed allegations that she neglected her husband during his illness.
However, reacting to her claims during an interview on Baba Olomi TV, the comedian’s sisters, Sayo and Seun, challenged her account and made fresh allegations concerning their brother’s family.
Sayo claimed that Gbenga had confided in Femi before his death that only one of his three children, identified as Igwe, was his biological son.
She subsequently challenged Omolara to make all three children available for DNA testing to establish their biological relationship with the late entertainer.
“Brother Gbenga told Bro Femi that Igwe was his only son, but my brother did not come out openly to say it. Lara, go and repent. Jesus is coming soon. We need DNA tests; we need to know the real biological child,” she said.
Sayo also accused Omolara of giving the comedian tea while he was receiving treatment in the hospital, despite alleged 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,” she added.
In her contribution, Seun alleged that some valuables were removed from Gbenga’s residence while family members were at the hospital attending to him.
She also dismissed suggestions that the late comedian was associated with the Ogboni fraternity or engaged in fetish practices.
Gbenga Adeboye, popularly known as Funwontan, was a renowned Yoruba comedian, broadcaster and entertainer who earned widespread recognition through his distinctive radio programmes and comedy performances.
He died on April 30, 2003, at the age of 43, following an illness reportedly linked to kidney disease.