Legendary Nigerian juju musician, Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Ade (KSA), has debunked swirling rumours of his alleged abduction, setting the record straight in a calm but firm response that has now gone viral.
Concerns over the 78-year-old icon’s whereabouts erupted on Monday after his daughter, Damilola Esther Adeniyi, raised alarm on Instagram, claiming that her father was being held against his will by her stepbrother, Dayo, who also serves as his manager. She alleged financial exploitation and described the situation as a possible kidnapping.
But in a sharp turn of events, another of KSA’s sons, Emperor, refuted the claims in an interview with Premium Times, insisting that the veteran musician was fine and the allegations were baseless.
Shortly after, King Sunny Ade himself appeared in a viral video obtained by the newspaper, where he confirmed that he was safe, healthy, and simply taking a short break from public appearances.
“Glory to the Almighty Father in heaven. People are more important than clothes; people are the honourary clothes I wear to cover myself. I thank God and all my people around the world. My children said they wanted to see me, and everyone wanted to see me.”
“During the few days I took to rest, people started saying they hadn’t seen me. I thank God that I didn’t go anywhere, I wasn’t kidnapped, and I didn’t kidnap myself either. I must thank my fans worldwide because people have been calling me non-stop for the past seventy-something hours.”
The Ondo-born music legend, known globally for pioneering the Afro-juju sound and earning acclaim from outlets like The New York Times, also took to Instagram to issue an official statement. In it, he firmly rejected the claims made by Damilola and hinted at possible legal actions against bloggers and individuals spreading misinformation.
“I, Dr Sunday Adeniyi-Adegeye MFR, also known as King Sunny Ade, is alive and well. The falsehood about my disappearance or being missing by Damilola Esther Adeniyi-Adegeye and her cohorts is entirely false. I am alive and well and grateful for the love and support of my fans. Thanks for your concern.”
“It’s essential to address the falsehood and fabricated news by Damilola Esther Adeniyi Adegeye and her associates and to assure the general public and loved ones that I am alive and safe. Lastly, I utilise this medium to admonish the blogger(s) responsible for this mischievous act alongside those that take undue privileges to trample on my hard-earned reputation and image to desist forthwith otherwise be prepared to face the wrath of the law.”
The ‘Synchro System’ crooner also confirmed he had been actively working and even performed in Lekki, Lagos State, just days earlier.
“Right now, I’m on my way to a show. I was at a show last Saturday in Lekki, Lagos State, so I’m surprised people are saying I was kidnapped. I wasn’t kidnapped. I thank Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu, and everyone for their concern,” he added.
With this firm clarification, King Sunny Ade has put an end to the speculation, reminding fans, critics, and bloggers alike that not every silence signals trouble.
