Gospel singer Lanre Alewilese has apologized to Damilola Elizabeth, the wife of the late singer Toluwanisings, for his choice to organize a ₦6m fundraising effort for Shadrach Taiwo, a UK-based relative of the deceased, to cover his school fees.
Alewilese offered the apology in a statement posted on his Facebook page, amid the controversy over the sponsorship of Shadrach’s education in the United Kingdom.
He also spoke about the matter in an Instagram video on Wednesday, clarifying that he arranged the fundraising after Shadrach informed him that Toluwanisings had promised to pay his £6,500 school fees shortly before his death.
The controversy started when an Instagram user, Yinka TNT, shared an audio recording said to feature Toluwanisings complaining about the financial burden of sponsoring Shadrach’s education in the UK.
In the recording, the late singer was reportedly heard saying he had spent around ₦12m on the young man’s education and could no longer carry the responsibility.
Yinka TNT also claimed that Toluwanisings had fallen out with members of his maternal family over the issue.
The controversy escalated on Wednesday when Yinka TNT shared a payment receipt showing a ₦6m transfer to Shadrach days after the singer’s death.
The disclosure drew criticism of Alewilese, with some accusing him of acting against the late singer by supporting his maternal family.
However, in his Instagram video on Wednesday, Alewilese said he was unaware that Shadrach was not Toluwanisings’ biological sibling until after the singer’s death.
He explained that Toluwanisings had introduced Shadrach to him as his full brother and had never said otherwise.
“Before Toluwani died, he introduced Shadrach Taiwo to me as his sibling from the same father and mother. He never told anyone about their relationship. This was the same boy that played the role of best man at his wedding,” he said.
Alewilese stated that Toluwanisings had previously approached him for help in arranging Shadrach’s trip to the United States, though the plan never came to fruition.
He went on to say that he later found out Shadrach had gained admission in the UK and that the late singer had been covering his tuition fees each year.
Reflecting on what happened after Toluwanisings’ death, Alewilese said he was in the UK when he got Shadrach’s contact details from a member of the late singer’s band.
He noted that he cautioned the young man to be careful and to get ready to assume the role of a father figure to the deceased’s children.
Alewilese recounted that Shadrach told him he was stunned by the singer’s death and revealed that they had spoken three days before, when Toluwanisings promised to pay his £6,500 school fees.
He also mentioned that Shadrach told him his visa was set to expire at the end of October and that the UK Home Office had been requesting that he renew it.
Alewilese said he was unable to talk about the matter with Toluwanisings’ wife right away, which led him to set up a group to seek financial support for Shadrach.
He explained that donors gave money in the belief that Shadrach was a blood relative of the deceased and that the fundraising happened before word of the family dispute came out of Ikirun.
“I could not tell the wife about the situation, so I opened a group where we started soliciting funds for the brother. People were rendering support with the mindset that Shadrach was a blood relation of Toluwani. This was even before any information came from Ikirun,” he said.
In his Facebook apology, titled “PUBLIC APOLOGY AND CLARIFICATION” and posted on Wednesday, Alewilese acknowledged that he had acted impulsively by helping to raise money for Shadrach’s school fees, relying on the information he had at the time.
He wrote, “First and foremost, I, Lanre Alewilese, wish to publicly tender my sincere apology to Damilola Elizabeth, wife of the late Toluwanisings, as well as to my colleagues, actors, and actresses in the movie industry, for acting impulsively regarding Taiwo’s situation by helping to raise money towards his school fees, based on the evidence and information presented to me at the time.”
He insisted that his actions were not driven by deceit or personal gain, stating that he acted in good faith and wanted to make sure the late singer’s efforts toward his brother’s education were not wasted.
“My intention was never to mislead anyone, create controversy, or take advantage of the situation. I acted out of concern, compassion, and a desire to ensure that the efforts of someone I deeply respected were not wasted,” he added.
Alewilese also took responsibility for his conduct, stating that he regretted failing to use better judgment before becoming involved.
“I sincerely regret any misunderstanding, hurt, or disappointment my actions may have caused. I take responsibility for my approach and hope this clarification helps everyone understand the genuine intentions behind my involvement. Once again, I sincerely apologize to everyone who may have been affected by this situation.”
Toluwanisings passed away on October 14 after he was reportedly refused treatment by several hospitals while trying to get medical care.
Following his death, a disagreement arose over where he would be laid to rest, which was eventually settled after the Oyo State Police Command obtained a peace undertaking from those involved. He was subsequently laid to rest at his residence on Monday.
