A fierce legal and family dispute has erupted over the body and burial rights of the late highlife legend, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Dad
A fierce legal and family dispute has erupted over the body and burial rights of the late highlife legend, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba, following claims by two women—both insisting to be his rightful spouse.
The late musician’s legally recognized wife, Akosua Serwaah Fosuh, who lives in Germany, has filed a suit at the High Court in Kumasi, challenging attempts by another woman, Priscilla Ofori, popularly known as Odo Broni, to take charge of the musician’s funeral rites and publicly present herself as his surviving wife.
In her suit, filed through her lawyer William Kusi, Esq., of Dominion Chambers, Mrs. Fosuh asserts that she is the lawful spouse of the highlife icon, having married him in Germany on December 23, 2004, under German civil law, which strictly recognizes monogamous unions. She contends that her marriage to the singer remained valid until his death on July 26, 2025, making any other marriage claim “legally impossible.”
The widow, together with her children, is demanding that the court prevent Odo Broni and other parties, including Abusua-Panin Kofi Owusu of Abuakwa-Kumasi and Transitions Funeral Home, from handling the musician’s body or performing any funeral or widowhood rites without her consent.
According to court documents, Mrs. Fosuh alleges that the defendants fraudulently registered their names at the morgue as those who deposited Daddy Lumba’s body, thereby denying her and her children access to the remains of their husband and father.
She insists that such actions violate her rights as the lawful widow and could cause her “irreparable harm” if the funeral proceeds without her involvement.
She is seeking four main reliefs from the High Court:
1. A declaration that she is the only surviving spouse of the late musician.
2. An order granting her exclusive rights to perform all widowhood and funeral rites.
3. An injunction restraining Abusua-Panin Kofi Owusu from recognizing Odo Broni as Lumba’s wife.
4. An order stopping Priscilla Ofori (Odo Broni) from representing herself as the lawful spouse of the late artiste.
Family Divided Over Funeral Rights
Sources close to the Fosu family indicate that the case has sharply divided the household. While Mrs. Fosuh and her children insist on their legal right to oversee their husband and father’s final rites, supporters of Odo Broni argue that she shared the musician’s later life in Ghana and publicly identified as his partner in recent years.
The conflict has reportedly delayed funeral preparations, as both parties seek control over arrangements and the symbolic recognition of who qualifies as the true widow.
Family elders have tried mediating behind the scenes, but the matter has now become a full-blown legal contest that will be decided in court.
A Legacy Now Shadowed by Controversy
Daddy Lumba, one of Ghana’s most iconic highlife musicians, passed away in July 2025 after a long and illustrious career that produced timeless hits and influenced generations of artistes.
Known for his distinctive voice and unmatched stage presence, his music dominated the entertainment scene for over three decades.
However, the legend’s private life often made headlines due to reports of multiple relationships and children from different women.
Those close to him say he had deep connections with both Mrs. Serwaah Fosuh in Germany and Odo Broni in Ghana, which has now become the center of the current legal and emotional storm.
The Kumasi High Court has yet to set a date for hearing the case.
COMMENTS