The Osoba family of Abeokuta, Ogun State has clarified the circumstances surrounding the death of Tope Osoba, urging sympathisers and members of the public to allow the family mourn her loss without sensationalising the tragedy.
Osoba, described by the family as a responsible, cerebral, and resourceful daughter, died on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
This was after what the family described as a prolonged period of emotional distress, unmanaged worries, depression, and self-medication.
The family, in a public statement released on Wednesday, said her emotional difficulties were compounded by the death of her biological mother and her experience with cancer, from which she later temporarily recovered.
According to the statement, she had in May 2025 reached out to her paternal aunt, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba Eritosin, seeking to be reintegrated into the Osoba family after severing relations with her maternal family in Iperu and blocking their telephone lines.
The family said she subsequently confided in Rev, Mother Eritosin about her life and marital difficulties and repeatedly sought her intervention.
It said Osoba made a frantic call to her on Friday, July 31, 2026, seeking help over her worsening health and relationship with her fiancé, with whom she had cohabited for about two years.
The statement further said that while receiving treatment and medical drips for an undisclosed illness on Sunday, August 2, she contacted Mother Eritosin and asked her to speak with her fiancé, whose telephone number she subsequently sent to her.
According to the family, Mother Eritosin, who had adopted Osoba as a daughter, immediately contacted the fiancé and asked him to meet with her over her situation.
The family said the fiancé promised to see Mother Eritosin the following Tuesday, the same day she died.
The statement added that Mother Eritosin had earlier introduced Osoba to her children and included her in the family’s chat group to enable her monitor, guide, and care for her.
It said that about five weeks before Osoba’s death, Mother Eritosin had also bought and sent her an aso ebi for a family function in Victoria Island, Lagos, although she could not collect it from the dispatch rider.
The family said Mother Eritosin had also invited Osoba’s fiancé for an urgent meeting a week before her death following disturbing expressions and voice notes concerning her deteriorating condition and messages about death.
According to the statement, the situation became more alarming on the morning of Tuesday, August 4 when Mother Eritosin received a call from Osoba’s female friend and hairdresser that she had not slept throughout the previous night and was behaving strangely while making disturbing comments about death.
She then asked that she should be brought to her church in Ikorodu, Lagos State for medical and spiritual care.
However, the family said Mother Eritosin was attending an eight-day service of songs for the late Baba Aladura Alogbo, Supreme Head of the C&S Unification Church in the Abule Egba area of Lagos State.
While at the programme, Mother Eritosin received a call from the Divisional Police Officer, Igbogbo Police Station, informing her that Osoba was in police custody after causing a disturbance around the Ita Elewa area of Ikorodu.
According to the statement, Osoba had reportedly acted strangely in traffic, got out of the vehicle, and started screaming loudly, prompting the intervention of the police.
Mother Eritosin reportedly confirmed that Osoba was her daughter and told the DPO that she would come to the station.
However, because of traffic delays, she asked that Osoba be released and taken to her church in Ikorodu, where she intended to join them after leaving the C&S meeting.
The family said Osoba was subsequently released to her friend and two maternal sisters who had arrived from Sagamu, Ogun State.
However, rather than wait for Mother Eritosin at her church, the family said Osoba’s handlers decided to take her to another spiritual person at a Celestial Church in Ikorodu, where she was prayed for and given water and drinks.
Her maternal cousins subsequently decided to take her to their residence in Sagamu.
The family said several calls made by Mother Eritosin to Osoba and her friend went unanswered as she travelled back from Abule Egba.
According to the statement, Osoba later experienced strange body reactions and a relapse while travelling to Sagamu after taking some cold water.
Her cousins reportedly rushed her to their private hospital in Sagamu, where a doctor, after assessing her condition, referred her to the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital for further medical attention.
The family said Osoba died inside the vehicle before she could be attended to by doctors at the teaching hospital.
Mother Eritosin was reportedly informed of Osoba’s death the following day by her friend, who explained that they had tried unsuccessfully to reach her before leaving the church in Ikorodu and taking her to her maternal relatives in Sagamu.
The Osoba family said the clarification became necessary to address issues surrounding her death and urged the public to remain calm while the family mourns.
The family said: “God is the ultimate giver and taker of life and it will not be a honor to Tope to sensationalize her demise in the social media but to give her a befitting burial so that her soul can rest in peace.”
