Toluwanisings: Tope Alabi threatens legal action against pastor over ritual killing claims
Renowned gospel minister Evangelist Tope Alabi has threatened legal action against Canada-based cleric Tayo Kumuyi, operator of the Facebook page Pastor Tayo Ministries, over viral publications linking her to the sudden death of gospel artiste Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings.
Through her legal counsel, Oakmount Legal Practitioners, Alabi issued a formal cease-and-desist letter dated October 24, 2026, demanding an immediate retraction, an unreserved apology, and the removal of all defamatory content within 24 hours.
Allegations of murder and ritual killings rejected
The legal letter, titled “Cease and Desist: Malicious and Defamatory Publications and Threats Against Our Client,” addresses several posts uploaded between October 20 and October 24, 2026.
The publications allegedly accused Alabi of ritual killings and involvement in the deaths of Toluwanisings—who passed away on October 14, 2026, at age 41—and other gospel ministers.
In a sharp rebuttal signed by lead solicitor Toluwanimi Okunade, Alabi’s legal team dismissed the allegations as entirely unfounded:
“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. You have produced no evidence, because none exists. No investigation, police finding or court decision supports a word of them.”
The solicitors emphasised that Alabi had privately and publicly mourned Toluwanisings and had no connection whatsoever to his passing or that of any other individual.
Religious revelations dismissed as malicious defamation
Alabi’s legal team rejected the defence that the allegations were based on spiritual insights or religious commentary.
“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. You have taken the grief of a bereaved family and a nation, and turned it into a weapon against an innocent woman.”
The lawyers noted that the posts had garnered hundreds of shares, reactions, and comments, with several followers indicating they believed the claims. They added that framing defamatory statements as spiritual revelations does not exempt them from legal consequences under applicable libel laws.
Hostile response cited as evidence of malice
The cease-and-desist letter also cited a follow-up post allegedly published by Pastor Tayo Kumuyi following Alabi’s initial public caution against defamation on October 23.
The post reportedly stated: “Tope Alabi, no letter will save you from my hand. Your only option is leaving your hiding place.”
Describing the statement as an open declaration of harassment and a direct threat of harm, the legal team confirmed that subsequent posts would be submitted as evidence of malice in court.
Addressing the publisher’s residence in Canada, Oakmount Legal Practitioners clarified that cross-border location would not prevent legal action, noting that the content was targeted at a Nigerian public figure and consumed primarily by a Nigerian audience where Alabi’s professional standing and ministry reside.
Demands and ultimatum
Alabi’s solicitors have laid out strict compliance terms, warning that failure to meet them within 24 hours will trigger formal court proceedings for damages, injunctions, complaints to Meta Platforms, and referrals to law enforcement:
Complete deletion of all defamatory posts, videos, and associated share requests.
An unreserved written apology published on the Pastor Tayo Ministries Facebook page, remaining pinned at the top for 14 consecutive days.
A directive to preserve all messages, drafts, and account records without alteration or destruction.
As of press time, the 24-hour ultimatum has lapsed, with legal counsel preparing further steps should full compliance not be verified.
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