The lover of late Nollywood actress Temitope Osoba, popularly known as Tope Osoba, has reportedly been arrested following allegations surrounding the circumstances of her death.
The man, identified as Prophet Itunu, was said to have been taken into custody by the police on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, amid growing public pressure for an investigation into the actress’ death.
Tope died on August 4, 2026, two years after she survived breast cancer.
Following the actress’ death, some of her close friends and associates accused Itunu and members of his family of allegedly contributing to her death.
The allegations circulated widely on social media, with some of Tope’s associates claiming the actress was manipulated into moving in with Itunu without formally marrying him or maintaining close contact with her family.
The prophet was also accused of allegedly bullying the actress, taking possession of some of her money and a car, and preventing her from acting or maintaining relationships with some of her colleagues and friends.
Some of Tope’s friends subsequently shared chats and voice notes which they said supported their allegations.
The controversy prompted the family to postpone her burial to allow the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
Speaking in an interview with the Celestial Reality Check, a media investigative unit of the Celestial Church of Christ, Itunu denied the allegations levelled against him.
He claimed Tope approached him about marriage after visiting his church for prayers.
The prophet also alleged that the actress struggled with drug addiction, saying he only discovered the problem later.
He said, “Tope was a drug addict, and I didn’t know about it in time. And I don’t have money to take her to rehab after I noticed.”
An associate of the actress and online personality, Akeem, popularly known as ‘Oko Awon Single Mother’, announced the reported arrest in an Instagram video.
According to him, Itunu was arrested alongside a yet-to-be-identified hairdresser.
Akeem said, “Good morning, everybody. Good Nigerians. So to those asking me for an update about Tope Osoba’s case, I have good news for you.
“Itunu was arrested on Tuesday. The hairdresser was also arrested. They are now in detention. The other guy that was accused of raping her is on the run. The guy’s name is Pelumi.”
He expressed optimism that the investigation would lead to justice for the late actress and thanked Nigerians and the police for responding to calls for an investigation.
“So hopefully, justice will be served for her. Thank you, Nigerians; thanks to the police for not ignoring our cry for justice. A big thank you to the family and a big thank you to myself. Autopsy will be carried out by the police,” he added.
