Lagos, Nigeria – Controversial Nigerian journalist and social commentator, Dr. Kemi Olunloyo, has taken to social media to express her heartbreak and disillusionment following an emotional moment at her father’s funeral. In a lengthy and emotional statement, Olunloyo revealed that she was deliberately left out during the tribute by music legend Ebenezer Obey at the burial ceremony.
Olunloyo, daughter of the late former Oyo State Governor Victor Omololu Olunloyo, lamented that despite being his biological daughter, her name was not mentioned alongside her siblings during the musical tribute rendered by Ebenezer Obey at the funeral service. The incident, she said, left her feeling invisible and abandoned by the family she once supported.
“At my father’s funeral yesterday, Nigerian Ebenezer Obey sang and called out all the names of my dad’s children but didn’t mention my name, Kemi Olunloyo. I will never forget this,” she wrote.
Reflecting on her personal sacrifices, Olunloyo recalled how she returned to Nigeria in 2006 from the United States after selling everything she owned, following a promise from her father that she would be offered a position at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). According to her, the job never materialized, and the decision ultimately derailed her life and career.
“I may not be part of the family anymore, but I was still his daughter. I used to be the breadwinner of the family… It is in pain I am now starting my life all over again at 61 years after it was ruined by my dad,” she added.
Olunloyo, now based outside Nigeria, stated that she has severed ties with the country permanently. She left Nigeria in January 2023 and declared she has no plans of ever returning. She also revealed that she has instructed her son to cremate her remains and scatter her ashes in the Atlantic Ocean when she passes on.
Her statement has sparked strong reactions online, with many expressing sympathy for her situation while others debated the complexities of family relationships, public forgiveness, and personal healing.
As a former pharmacist, media personality, and outspoken activist, Kemi Olunloyo has remained a controversial figure in Nigerian public discourse. Her latest revelations once again place her at the center of emotional and societal conversations surrounding family, estrangement, and reconciliation.