Gospel singer Tope Alabi is ready to take legal action against a pastor in Canada named Tayo Kumuyi, also known as Pastor Tayo Ministries. This follows claims linking her to the death of gospel artist Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, who is popularly known as Toluwanisings, and other ministers.
Alabi's lawyers, Oakmount Legal Practitioners, sent a cease-and-desist letter on October 24, 2026. They want the Facebook page Pastor Tayo Ministries to remove the posts, retract the statements, and apologize.
The letter is titled "Cease and Desist: Malicious and Defamatory Publications and Threats Against Our Client". It demands that the posts be taken down and the apology be made within twenty-four hours.
According to the legal letter, posts between October 20 and 24 accused Alabi of being involved in murder and ritual killings. These posts also claim she was involved in the deaths of several gospel ministers.
Late Gospel Artiste, Toluwanisings
The lawyers denied the allegations, stating, "These statements accuse our client of murder and of ritual killing. There is no more serious allegation that can be made against a person, least of all a minister of the gospel. They are false in every particular."
They challenged the pastor to provide proof for these claims. They said, "You have produced no evidence, because none exists. No investigation, police finding or court decision supports a word of them."
The letter went on to say that Alabi has mourned Toluwanisings, both privately and publicly, and had nothing to do with his death or anyone else's.
The lawyers accused the page operator of using public grief for personal gain. They wrote, "You have taken the grief of a bereaved family and a nation, and turned it into a weapon against an innocent woman, for reasons best known to you."
The solicitors also said the claims were not honest comments or spiritual revelations. They stated, "Your conduct is not honest comment, and it is not 'revelation'. It is a deliberate, reckless and malicious publication of falsehood to the world, repeated day after day, with a call to your followers to spread it further."
They pointed out that the posts had received many reactions and comments, and some readers seemed to believe the allegations.
The letter also mentioned a post that seemed to target Alabi after she warned against defamation on October 23. The lawyers quoted the post, saying, "Tope Alabi, no letter will save you from my hand. Your only option is leaving your hiding place."
They described this as a threat, saying, "That is not a response to a legal notice. It is a threat of harm, and an open declaration that you will continue."
The lawyers noted that their client took the publications very seriously. They said posts made after her warning would be used as proof of malice and ongoing defamation.
On the legal side, the letter stated, "The publications complained of are, in our client’s view, actionable in libel under the applicable law."
It added that the statements suggest serious criminal conduct against Alabi and could greatly damage her reputation and ministry.
The lawyers argued that framing the claims as spiritual does not protect them from legal checks. They said, "The fact that the statements are presented as spiritual revelations or religious opinions does not, without more, exempt their publication from the ordinary requirements of the law."
They stated that the legal issues would depend on "the actual words used, their context and the applicable law."
Addressing the pastor's residence in Canada, the lawyers said it does not protect him from legal action. They noted, "You published these statements on a public platform, in Yoruba and English, about a Nigerian public figure, concerning the death of a Nigerian minister, and to a Nigerian audience of followers."
They added that the posts were read, shared, and believed in Nigeria, where Alabi lives and works, and where her reputation has been harmed.
The lawyers demanded the removal of the posts, the stopping of further allegations, and the end of any threatening statements. They also asked the pastor to keep all evidence, including posts and messages.
The letter stated, "Removal from public view must not involve the destruction or alteration of evidence."
Besides removing the posts, the lawyers asked for a full retraction and apology on the same Facebook page. They want the retraction to stay pinned for 14 days and be as visible as the original posts.
They also asked the pastor to share the proof for any claims made and to confirm if the allegations have been reported to the Nigeria Police Force or another authority.
The lawyers warned of possible legal action if their demands are not met within 24 hours, saying, "Take notice that this is our client’s final demand."
They listed possible actions, including court cases for damages, complaints to Meta Platforms, and reporting threats to law enforcement.
The letter emphasized that Alabi has the right to seek damages and other legal remedies. However, they clarified that the demands are not meant to stop honest reporting or lawful commentary. They said, "Nothing in this letter is intended to prevent truthful reporting, lawful investigation or legitimate commentary protected by law."
The letter was signed by Toluwanimi Okunade of Oakmount Legal Practitioners, representing Alabi.
Toluwanisings, whose real name was Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, died on October 14, 2026, at the age of 41. Alabi had publicly mourned him after his death.
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