SEVERAL hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State, reportedly rejected the late gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, on Wednesday, October 14, before he was later confirmed dead and deposited in a mortuary, his media aide, Babadunni Gbolabo, told BBC Yoruba on Thursday morning. The aide, who spoke at the late singer’s home in the Alakia area of Ibadan, said Toluwanisings was in perfect condition before he later slumped and efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
“What happened was that in the early hours of the day (Wednesday), though I was not here at the time he slumped, they called me and I rushed down here. He was not sick; he was very fine and in perfect condition,” Gbolabo said. “He just slumped, and people made frantic efforts to resuscitate him. All the hospitals where he was rushed to rejected him. In some of the facilities, they said their doctors were on strike.
In others, they claimed their doctors were unavailable. “There were also some that just didn’t want to attend to him. That was what happened. We did our best with prayers and everything we could do. We visited up to seven or eight hospitals in this Ibadan, but God said his time had come.” He said the deceased’s family would communicate burial plans to the public in due course.
The ICIR reports that the late Toluwanisings ministered at “In His Presence,” a monthly worship concert organised by fellow gospel singer Bidemi Olaoba in Ibadan on Tuesday, October 13, less than 24 hours before his death. Other gospel musicians had also been present at the event. Rumours of his death and its eventual confirmation dominated news and social media platforms on Wednesday.
Lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi, convener of the Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPA), was among the first to announce the singer’s death. Details of the late singer’s childhood and educational background are not readily available on social media, but he was notably fluent in English and expressed himself with clarity and confidence. Toluwanisings married in 2020 and is survived by his 31-year-old wife, two children and other family members.
The Osun State-born, Ibadan-based singer began his rise to fame in 2021 after one of his songs was shared on social media by Woli Agba, a cleric and social media influencer. He had, in July this year, survived an accident when an articulated vehicle rammed into him and his crew members while returning from a ministration. He has been described as a gospel minister whose singing was marked by unrestrained passion, spiritual intensity, vocal force and unwavering determination.
He maintained an active social media presence, regularly engaging his audience and using digital platforms to promote his music, expand his reach and build his profile. Some of his songs include “Eleda,” “I’m Not Alone,” “A Very Big God” and “Kabiyesi Olorun Ayo”. Toluwanisings worked with other gospel artistes, collaborating with Adeyinka Alaseyori on “Ase Ti Jade” and appearing on recordings by musicians such as BBO, Kayode Adaralegbe, Michael Fakoya and Adetayo Praise, among others.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org
