The High Court in Accra has ruled that the applicants in the ongoing dispute over the burial of the late musician Daddy Lumba must pay GH¢2 million by 2 pm today or the funeral will go ahead as originally planned on Saturday, December 13, 2025. If the money is not paid, Transitions Funeral Home will be allowed to release the body.
The ruling follows an earlier injunction secured by the musician’s maternal family, which stopped the family head, Kofi Owusu, from organising the burial and prevented the funeral home from releasing the body. The injunction was granted after the court saw signs that the immediate family had been left out of the planning process.
The court noted that delaying the funeral could increase costs but insisted that all parties must be properly consulted. It also reminded the family that although the family head traditionally leads funeral arrangements, he must work together with the immediate family.
The judge directed the family head to hold a meeting with all stakeholders within three weeks to agree on a new burial date if the injunction continues. The court also ordered that money raised for the funeral be kept separate from accounts belonging to the Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation. The applicants were told to file an affidavit with the court registrar.
The dispute began after Daddy Lumba’s death on July 26, 2025, when disagreements arose between his maternal relatives and the family head over who should lead the funeral and how funds should be handled. The tension reflects long-standing Akan traditions that give the maternal family significant authority in burial matters.
With the court’s new directive, the immediate family must now decide whether to pay the GH¢2 million to keep the injunction active or allow the funeral to proceed this weekend.
