King Sunny Ade's children at odds over his whereabouts

Some children of legendary juju musician King Sunny Ade are at odds over his well-being and whereabouts. Damilola Esther, a daughter of the singer and guitarist, took to social media to accuse her step-brother Dayo of holding their father hostage and booking him for events without fulfilling the engagements.

In a series of posts, Damilola called for her brother, whom she referred to as KSA's manager, to be apprehended for allegedly stealing from their father. She wrote, "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 post 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."

However, in an exclusive interview with Newsmen, Dayo denied the allegations, stating that their father was hale and hearty. He claimed he was not KSA's official manager but was helping out in that capacity. Dayo 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."

Dayo attributed Damilola's posts to her being "not in the right frame of mind" and claimed she started making nasty comments about their father after he told her to visit Nigeria if she wanted to see him.

Another son of the iconic musician, David, also spoke with Newsmen, asserting that Damilola was making things up. He said, "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 evidence that he is fine."

However, respected journalist Olawale Olaleye claimed that KSA was no longer accessible to people who used to be in contact with him. In a social media post, he noted that Damilola had reached out to him, claiming something sinister was going on with her dad, and that he was unreachable. Olaleye also mentioned that another associate had contacted him for help in getting in touch with KSA to book him for an event.