Tensions have reportedly risen among the children of legendary juju musician, Sunday Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Ade, as they express concerns over his health and whereabouts.
Damilola Esther, a daughter of the singer and guitarist, went on social media to accuse her step-brother, Dayo, of allegedly holding their father against his will and scheduling him for events without fulfilling the commitments.
She shared multiple posts on social media, demanding the arrest of her brother, whom she called King Sunny Ade’s manager, accusing him of stealing from the musician.
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One of the posts read, “Dad told my brother that he wants to go home. Where is he? Where are his phones? He has not been online or picking his calls. Where is he?”
Another one read, “I want Dayo (manager) apprehended. I want him to provide all the money they have been stealing from him. He has a UK visa, thinking he can run.”
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Dayo stated that their father was in good health.
He clarified that he was not his father’s “official manager,” but was simply assisting him in that capacity.
He said, “The allegation is false. On Saturday (April 26, 2025), my dad performed at the 60th birthday party of a fan. The event took place at 16 Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. He still had rehearsals with members of his band last week. He will perform in Akure (Ondo State capital) on May 1.
“She (Damilola) is not in the right frame of mind for her to have made those posts. On Easter Sunday, she called me and said she wanted to speak with dad, because she doesn’t live in Nigeria. I gave the phone to my dad, and they spoke for about 30 minutes. I then told her that if she wanted to see him, she could come to Nigeria.
“The moment she started making nasty comments about dad, she crossed the line. You cannot speak ill of my father and expect me to still reckon with you, no matter who you are. Even my mother wouldn’t do that. Why would you (Damilola) go on social media and call daddy names?”
Dayo also mentioned that KSA would issue a statement to clarify the situation and provide clarity.
“Kindly ignore all she has said. KSA will release a statement on social media within 24 hours. And if you are free, you can join him in Akure for his performance on May 1. He will be glad to have an interaction with you, and answer questions on what you have heard on social media about him,” he said.
Dayo explained to PUNCH that he was not KSA’s manager, but was simply assisting in the absence of one.
He said, “I am not an official manager. I just assist my father. I have my businesses. As I explained to her (Damilola), I don’t have any employment letter, and I am not on the payroll.
“I am just helping my dad, like the Scripture commands. This arrangement was not even planned but was necessitated by some developments. He (KSA) asked me to help him handle certain things, pending the time he gets someone in that position. And, he feels extremely comfortable with what I have been doing, and he said I should continue doing it.
“This is like paying him back for all the things he has done for me. One of the things he loves the most is going on stage to perform, and that is what he has been doing for the past 59 years. We cannot just ask him to stop doing that.”
David, another son of the iconic musician, claimed that Damilola was fabricating the story.
In a different interview with PUNCH, he stated, “As I’m speaking with you, daddy is fine. He is not working under duress. He just finished an event. I can tell you with proof and evidences that he is fine.”
David also emphasised that he was willing to provide further details to demonstrate that their father was in good health and there was no reason for concern.
However, renowned journalist Olawale Olaleye asserted that KSA had become inaccessible to those who were once in regular contact with him.
In a social media post, he revealed that Damilola had reached out to him, stating that there were worrying signs regarding her father’s well-being and that he was unable to be contacted.
He disclosed that someone else also got in touch with him, requesting his help to connect with KSA for an event booking.
Olaleye said he made several attempts to reach KSA through different channels, but none were successful.
He added, “Curiously, everyone who could reach KSA at a dial could not anymore. And at that point, I gave up and continued with my life of hustling…”
