The fate of Daddy Lumba’s funeral has been paused by the courts as a High Court in Accra intervenes in a growing family dispute over who should oversee the burial.
At the request of the late musician’s maternal relatives, the court granted an injunction stopping family head Kofi Owusu from proceeding with any funeral arrangements. Transitions Funeral Home was also barred from releasing the body until the legal matter is resolved.
The court highlighted that affidavits suggested the immediate family had been excluded from critical funeral planning. It stressed that these concerns must be carefully considered before any burial can take place.
According to a Citinewsroom report, the judge acknowledged that delaying the funeral might increase costs but insisted that due process and proper involvement of the family were paramount. The ruling confirmed the family head’s authority to lead the rites while making clear that such authority must involve consultation with the immediate family.
The judge directed Kofi Owusu to convene a stakeholder meeting within three weeks to agree on a new burial date. The court also ordered that all funeral funds be separated from the Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation accounts. Additionally, the applicants were instructed to submit an affidavit to the court registrar.
The legal conflict follows Daddy Lumba’s death on July 26, 2025, at age 60. A disagreement between his maternal relatives and the family head over control of the funeral and management of funds has escalated, reflecting long-standing Akan traditions that grant significant burial authority to the maternal lineage.
