The Accra High Court has issued an injunction preventing the burial of the late highlife icon Daddy Lumba, following a petition filed by his maternal family. The decision stops the family head, Kofi Owusu, from proceeding with the funeral, which was scheduled for this weekend in the Ashanti Region. It also restrains Transitions Funeral Home from releasing the musician’s remains until the matter is fully resolved.
Delivering the ruling, the court observed that documents before it suggested the immediate family had been excluded from key funeral discussions. The judge emphasized that although postponing the burial may result in additional expenses, due process and fair family representation must take precedence.
The court affirmed that while the family head has the traditional authority to lead funeral preparations, this power must be exercised in proper consultation with the deceased’s immediate family.
As part of its directives, the first respondent has been ordered to convene a stakeholder meeting within three weeks to agree on a new burial date. The court further instructed that all funds raised for the funeral be separated from accounts belonging to the Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation. The applicants are also required to file an affidavit with the registrar.
The dispute emerged after Daddy Lumba’s passing on July 26, 2025, at age 60. Tensions between his maternal relatives and the family head over funeral leadership and management of contributions intensified, highlighting long-standing Akan traditions that place significant authority in the maternal lineage regarding burial rites.
