Samshudeen Omowura, the son of the legendary Apala music crooner, Ayinla Omowura, shares with The Punch correspondent his thoughts about growing up without his father, the circumstances surrounding the singer’s tragic death, the struggle to preserve his legacy, among other issues
When he was asked what he heard about his father’s death, he said, “From what I learnt, his manager, (Fatai) Bayewu, killed him at a beer parlour by hitting him on the head with an object; I heard it was a mug. From the stories we heard, Bayewu came from a wealthy family. It seemed he was financially supporting Ayinla at some point, and because of that, they became very close friends.”
He explained that his father had trusted Bayewu deeply, but that a disagreement later arose between them. According to him, the issue began after his father had given Bayewu his Honda motorcycle and later started searching for him because he wanted to recover it.
He further stated that someone later came to their home to inform his father that Bayewu had been seen at a beer parlour. He said that upon receiving the information, his father went there to confirm the report and retrieve the motorcycle.
Samshudeen said that when Bayewu saw his father arriving, he might have assumed that his father intended to attack him. He added that, based on the stories he had heard, Bayewu reacted by picking up a mug and striking his father on the head, insisting that there must have been a serious misunderstanding between them before the incident escalated.
He further narrated that when his father was taken to the hospital, three doctors attended to him and later discovered that a piece of bottle was lodged in the middle of his head. He also claimed that he had personally spoken with one of the doctors before the doctor’s death in recent years.
According to him, immediately after Ayinla Omowura was confirmed dead, the attending doctors left the hospital quickly, fearing possible attacks from angry fans and sympathisers who might have reacted violently out of grief.
When asked what happened to Bayewu after the incident, Samshudeen stated that Bayewu fled immediately after the attack but was later arrested, tried in Ibadan, and sentenced to death by hanging.
He was also asked whether he had ever met any member of Bayewu’s family. In response, he said that he believes in peace and forgiveness rather than hatred. He explained that while working in Saje, he learned that one of Bayewu’s children was living in the area, and he personally went to visit him.
He added that during the visit, he showed the man love and friendship, and told him that there was no benefit in carrying hatred over what happened between their fathers. He stated that he believes only God truly knows what happened on that day, and that the tragic event may have been influenced by circumstances beyond human understanding.
He claimed that instead of continuing hostility, he chose peace, understanding, and reconciliation….See More
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