The public mourning for Ghanaian highlife icon Charles Kwadwo Fosu, universally known as Daddy Lumba, has devolved into an acrimonious legal battle, with his core relatives demanding judicial intervention to halt the funeral process and compel an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
A lawsuit filed by members of the musician’s immediate family accuses the designated head of the wider family of secrecy, mismanagement, and attempting to hijack the memorial rites since Lumba’s passing on July 26, 2025.
The matter is scheduled to be heard in court on Thursday, December 11, 2025.
Criminal Probe Demanded Over Secret Autopsy
The most profound grievance underlying the civil suit is the lack of transparency surrounding Daddy Lumba’s death. The plaintiffs—Obaapanin Afia Adomah, Robert Gyamfi (Wofa Yaw Poku), Georgina Gyamfi, Ernestina Fosuh, and Nana Afia Kobi—claim they were deliberately excluded from critical decisions.
According to the writ filed, the immediate family was not officially informed of the musician’s passing before:
“…an autopsy had already been conducted without their knowledge or consent.”
Disturbed by the procedural irregularities and perceived deliberate concealment, the plaintiffs have escalated the matter beyond civil litigation.
They have lodged a formal complaint with the Homicide Division of the Ghana Police Service, demanding a full investigation to ascertain the true cause of death.
The Fight for the Coffin: Injunction Against Funeral Home
The plaintiffs have sought sweeping interlocutory injunctions against three specific parties: Kofi Owusu (identified as the head of the wider family), CalBank, and Transitions Funeral Home.
The immediate family’s control over the highlife legend’s remains is a key point of contention. To prevent what they perceive as an unauthorized release of the body, the family has asked the court to:
“…stop Transitions Funeral Home from releasing the corpse to Owusu or anyone acting on his behalf until the suit is determined.”
They argue that the wider family head’s unilateral actions concerning the body and funeral arrangements necessitate this drastic judicial restraint.
Financial Hijack: The DL Foundation Account
The dispute is further inflamed by allegations of the mismanagement of public donations collected during the one-week observation rites.
The core financial asset in dispute is the “DL Foundation” account held at CalBank, into which all cash contributions from the memorial were deposited.
The family alleges that Kofi Owusu unilaterally formed a committee to manage these funds and rites without the core family’s consent. They claim unauthorized monies were withdrawn, and all attempts to compel Owusu to account for the funds have been rebuffed.
Their fears over the financial health of the funeral arrangements are starkly outlined in their writ:
“The core fear driving the suit is that ‘Owusu will continue to squander all the monies in the account,’ leaving nothing for the organization of the final funeral rites.”
Consequently, the family is asking the court for explicit financial injunctions:
- Restrain CalBank from releasing any money from the DL Foundation account to Owusu.
- Block Owusu from accessing any other accounts belonging to the Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation LBG.
Manhyia Intervention Deemed Ineffective
The depth of the family crisis is evidenced by the fact that the dispute had previously reached the Manhyia Palace, the traditional seat of the Asantehene.
The initial committee formed by Owusu was reportedly dissolved at Manhyia, and a new funeral committee was appointed.
However, the plaintiffs claim that despite the traditional authority’s intervention, Owusu has “continued to retain funds and authority previously under his control,” necessitating the current legal action.
The tragic situation transforms what should be a unified national period of mourning into a bitter, high-stakes legal contest over transparency, control, and legitimacy that threatens to cast a shadow over the enduring legacy of one of Ghana’s most celebrated musicians.
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