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, popularly called 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 claims, and apologize.
The letter is titled “Cease and Desist: Malicious and Defamatory Publications and Threats Against Our Client.” It demands the removal, retraction, and apology within twenty-four hours.
The legal document states that posts made between October 20 and 24 accused Alabi of being involved in murder and ritual killings. It also claims she is linked to the deaths of several gospel ministers.
Rejecting these allegations, Alabi's lawyers stated, “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 Kumuyi to provide proof, saying, “You have produced no evidence, because none exists. No investigation, police finding or court decision supports a word of them.”
The letter adds that Alabi “privately and publicly mourned the late Toluwanisings, and had no part in his death or in the death of anyone else.”
The lawyers accused Kumuyi of taking advantage of public grief, saying, “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.”
They also rejected the idea that the accusations were spiritual revelations, stating, “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.”
The letter claimed the posts received hundreds of reactions and comments, indicating that many people believed the allegations.
The lawyers pointed out a later post directed at Alabi after she warned against defamation on October 23. They 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 statement 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 letter emphasized that Alabi takes the publications very seriously. It noted that posts made after her warning could be used as proof of malice and a continued effort to defame her.
On the legal side, the letter said, “The publications complained of are, in our client’s view, actionable in libel under the applicable law.” It added that the statements “impute serious criminal conduct to our client and are capable of gravely injuring her personal reputation, professional standing and ministry.”
The lawyers argued that presenting the claims as spiritual revelations does not exempt them from legal scrutiny. They stated, “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 said the legal implications would be based on “the actual words used, their context and the applicable law.”
Regarding Kumuyi's residence in Canada, the lawyers argued that it does not protect him from legal action. They said, “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.”
The letter continued, “These publications were read, shared and believed in Nigeria, which is where our client lives and works and where her reputation has been damaged.”
The lawyers demanded that Kumuyi remove the false posts, stop sharing the allegations, and stop making threats or harassing statements.
They also ordered him to keep all relevant evidence, including posts, recordings, messages, and account records. The letter stated, “Removal from public view must not involve the destruction or alteration of evidence.”
In addition to removal, the lawyers requested a full retraction and apology on the same Facebook page. This should be pinned for 14 days and have the same visibility as the original posts.
They also asked Kumuyi to provide proof and details for any claims he continues to make and to confirm if he reported the allegations to the Nigeria Police Force or any other authority.
The lawyers warned of possible legal action if their demands are not met within 24 hours. They wrote, “Take notice that this is our client’s final demand.”
They listed possible legal steps, including court actions for damages, costs, and complaints to Meta Platforms. They also mentioned reporting the threats to law enforcement.
Alabi's lawyers stated she still reserves the right to seek “general damages and, where legally justified by the evidence, aggravated or exemplary damages,” along with costs and other remedies.
However, they clarified that their demands do not aim to stop truthful reporting or legal 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, passed away on October 14, 2026, at age 41. Alabi had openly mourned the gospel artist after his death.
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