Nollywood actress Temitope Osoba, popularly known as Tope Osoba, has become the subject of a police investigation following allegations about the events surrounding her death.
Her lover, identified as Prophet Itunu, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. A hairdresser whose identity has not been made public was also said to have been taken into custody.
Tope Osoba died on August 4, 2026, two years after reportedly surviving breast cancer. After her death, some of her friends and associates raised questions about her relationship with Itunu and accused him and members of his family of actions they believed may have affected the actress.
The allegations later spread across social media. Some of her associates claimed Tope was persuaded to live with Itunu even though they had not formally married and she was no longer in close contact with her family.
Itunu was also accused of bullying the actress, controlling some of her money and taking possession of a car. Her friends further alleged that he stopped her from acting and limited her contact with some colleagues and close associates.
Some of Tope’s friends later released chats and voice recordings which they said backed up the claims they had made.
The controversy surrounding the case led the actress’ family to postpone her burial while the police looked into the circumstances of her death.
Itunu has denied the allegations. During an interview with Celestial Reality Check, an investigative media unit of the Celestial Church of Christ, he gave his own account of his relationship with the actress.
According to him, Tope approached him about marriage after she visited his church for prayers. He also claimed that she had a drug addiction, saying he did not know about it when they first met.
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.”
Akeem, an associate of the actress and online personality popularly called ‘Oko Awon Single Mother’, later announced the reported arrests in an Instagram video.
Akeem said Itunu and the unidentified hairdresser were both in police custody. He also claimed that another man accused of raping the actress had fled.
He 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.”
Akeem said he hoped the investigation would eventually bring justice for the late actress. He also 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.
The reported arrests are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tope Osoba’s death.
