A fresh controversy has emerged within the Akingboye family following the death of former Ondo State gubernatorial candidate, Otunba Benson Akingboye, as disagreements intensify over both the circumstances of his death and his burial arrangements.
In the aftermath of his passing, tensions reportedly escalated between members of the extended family and Mrs. Christiana Akingboye, identified as the deceased’s second wife. Some family members had initially alleged foul play, pointing to Mrs. Akingboye and her children, who were said to be among the last to see the deceased alive.
The Lagos State Police Command investigated the matter and classified it as a suspected murder case. However, in a report dated January 5, 2026, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concluded that there was insufficient evidence linking Mrs. Christiana Akingboye and her six children to the death.
The dispute has since shifted to burial arrangements. Mrs. Akingboye is reported to have instituted a suit before the High Court of Lagos State, filed as LD/9238FPM/2026 and assigned to Justice Atinuke Ipaye. She also obtained an injunction restraining the family from proceeding with burial plans earlier scheduled for the last week of March 2026. According to sources, she is insisting that the deceased be buried in Lagos.
In response, members of the extended Akingboye family have strongly opposed her actions, accusing her of attempting to disrupt established family and traditional processes. Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr. Kembi Olorundare-Akingboye stated that burial decisions remain the prerogative of the family.
He further asserted that while the family recognizes most of Mrs. Akingboye’s children as part of the lineage, one child, identified as Oluwagbemiga, is not biologically related to the deceased but is alleged by the family to be the child of one Lateef Adebiyi from Egba in Ogun State.
The family also emphasized that the deceased was married to Mrs. Josephine Abiola Akingboye both legally and traditionally, and that the marriage remains valid and subsisting.
According to the family, the late Akingboye held significant traditional titles in Ikale land and must be buried in accordance with customary rites in his hometown. They maintained that burying him outside his ancestral home would contravene tradition and carry serious cultural consequences.
They also dismissed alleged claims that Mrs. Akingboye’s legal team holds undue influence, warning that any continued actions perceived as undermining the family’s position would be resisted through appropriate legal and traditional means.
Counsel to Samuel Akingboye the first born of the deceased and respondent in the suit A.O. Ajulo, declined to comment on the matter when contacted, stating that he does not deliberate on issues currently before the court.
As legal proceedings continue, the dispute highlights the complex intersection of legal authority, tradition, and family dynamics in the handling of high-profile burial arrangements.
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