Sons of juju music legend Sunday Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Ade (KSA), have dismissed viral claims of the musician’s alleged abduction, assuring the public that “he is safe and sound.”
Their reaction follows a series of social media posts by one of KSA’s daughters, Damilola Adegeye, who accused her stepbrother, Dayo, of allegedly holding their father hostage and mismanaging his engagements.
In her posts, Damilola, who lives abroad, accused Dayo of controlling access to the 78-year-old and diverting his performance earnings.
“Dad told my brother that he wants to go home. Where is he? Where are his phones? He has not been online or picking his calls. Where is he?” she asked in one post.
In another, she demanded Dayo’s arrest, saying, “I want Dayo (manager) apprehended. I want him to provide all the money they have been stealing from him. He has a UK visa, thinking he can run.”
However, Dayo has denied the allegations in an interview, stating that their father is healthy and active.
“The allegation is false. On Saturday (April 26, 2025), my dad performed at the 60th birthday party of a fan. The event took place at 16 Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“He still had rehearsals with members of his band last week. He will perform in Akure (Ondo State capital) on May 1,” he said.
Dayo clarified that he is not officially employed as KSA’s manager, but only stepped in to help his father with his affairs.
“She (Damilola) is not in the right frame of mind for her to have made those posts,” he said.
“On Easter Sunday, she called me and said she wanted to speak with dad, because she doesn’t live in Nigeria. I gave the phone to my dad, and they spoke for about 30 minutes. I then told her that if she wanted to see him, she could come to Nigeria.”
He continued, “The moment she started making nasty comments about dad, she crossed the line. You cannot speak ill of my father and expect me to still reckon with you, no matter who you are. Even my mother wouldn’t do that. Why would you (Damilola) go on social media and call daddy names?”
Dayo also said KSA would soon release a statement to address the situation.
“Kindly ignore all she has said. KSA will release a statement on social media within 24 hours. And if you are free, you can join him in Akure for his performance on May 1.
“He will be glad to have an interaction with you and answer questions on what you have heard on social media about him,” he said.
Explaining his involvement further, Dayo added, “I am not an official manager. I just assist my father. I have my businesses. As I explained to her (Damilola), I don’t have any employment letter, and I am not on the payroll.
“I am just helping my dad, like the Scripture commands. This arrangement was not even planned but was necessitated by some developments.
“He (KSA) asked me to help him handle certain things, pending the time he gets someone in that position. And, he feels extremely comfortable with what I have been doing, and he said I should continue doing it.
“This is like paying him back for all the things he has done for me. One of the things he loves the most is going on stage to perform, and that is what he has been doing for the past 59 years. We cannot just ask him to stop doing that.”
Another son of the music icon David also told The PUNCH that Damilola’s claims were baseless.
“As I’m speaking with you, daddy is fine. He is not working under duress. He just finished an event. I can tell you with proof and evidence that he is fine,” he said.
David added that he was ready to share more evidence if needed to show there was no cause for concern.
Born in 1946, King Sunny Ade is a pioneer of juju music and one of Africa’s most influential musicians.
With a career spanning over five decades, he is known for blending traditional Yoruba rhythms with modern sounds.
He was the first Nigerian artiste to be nominated for a Grammy Award and remains a global cultural icon.
