In the ever-turning wheel of Nigerian music history, few names shine as brightly and as controversially as the evergreen musician, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi.
For nearly five decades, the music legend has been the subject of one of the strangest recurring scripts: his death announcements.
At 83 years old, Obey is still alive, singing, smiling, and giving thanks to God. Yet, if one believes the internet this past week, one would think the maestro had been laid to rest.
On September 8, 2025, a chilling video surfaced online. It carried Obey’s “casket,” narrated a fictional funeral, and painted a picture of a final farewell. Within hours, panic spread, fans mourned, and messages flooded social media. But from his quiet corner in London, Obey eased the storm with a calm rebuttal: he was alive, well, and enjoying a break.
However, the distraction is not new; it is not the first, not the second. In fact, the rumour is approximately the 14th time Obey’s death had been falsely declared.
Only months earlier, precisely, April 22, 2025, another rumour rocked the internet, claiming the legend had died in London after a brief illness. Again, fans panicked, only to later learn it was false. For his family and close circle, it was déjà vu: the world was mourning a man still very much alive.
Unfortunately, the music icon has lived through rumours that could bury a lesser man. Back in July 2020, social media went into a frenzy with reports of his death in London. Within hours, his management issued a statement: Obey was not only alive but at home in Lagos.
Barely a month later, in August 2020, it happened again. This time, the legend himself appeared in a BBC News Yoruba interview.
“I was declared dead three times in one month,” he lamented.
His tone carried more sadness than anger—sadness at the carelessness of those who trade lives for clicks.
Saturday Tribune’s investigation revealed that Obey’s strange dance with rumours began decades ago, precisely in 1976, at just 34 years old. He battled a life-threatening illness during what he later described as the Babu Lukudi era. He had to travel to London for treatment, but the whispers started: “Obey is gone.”
He recalled in a Sunday Tribune interview at age 81 that: “People thought I would die. I’ve been pronounced dead multiple times, even as a young man. But God has kept me. I’ve faced so much in life, yet here I am.”
Unknown to many, the octogenarian musician had encountered serious health battles beyond rumours. Behind the fame and headlines, Obey has faced real health struggles, far from the false alarms. In 2022, he underwent surgery in London, which left him bedridden for over six months due to complications. It was a season that shook even his unshakable faith.
“I didn’t think I would survive. But God pulled me through. I owe everything to Him,” he said.
More recently, the music legend revealed his battle with prostate enlargement, a condition that forced him to take time off the stage and focus on his health. True to his character, Obey didn’t hide it. Instead, he used his platform to educate his followers on the importance of regular health checks, especially for aging men.
He also seized the opportunity to commend the Nigerian health system following the successful surgeries he underwent.
His openness turned a personal trial into a public lesson, reminding fans that even legends are not immune to life’s frailties.
Interestingly, it is evident that the legendary power of music is exceptional. Obey has long used his music as both testimony and defense. His 2006 album, “Evergreen Songs 26”, features the now-famous line: “…amo nipa temi oo, mo ti foro mi le Oluwa lọwọ” (As for me, I have put my world in God’s hands).
For him, these were not just lyrics; they were declarations. At a time when whispers questioned his success, he turned his faith into melody, telling the world that his rise was neither by charm nor by chance, but by grace.
Another of his haunting lines: “…gúnnùgù kì kú lẹ́wẹ̀ dandan, àkà ṣáì dàrúgbò dandan…,” reminds listeners that even the iroko tree will fall, and the raffia palm will age. In other words: no one is immortal. Wealth, power, beauty, all must bow to time.
Without doubt, Obey’s songs feel prophetic now. They are not just music, but mirrors of his life: fragile, tested, yet preserved.
Unknown to many, Ebenezer Obey’s lineage is blessed with longevity. He often reflects on the gift of long life that seems to run in his family. His mother lived to 97, while his father lived to 95. His elder sister lived to 74, and his younger brother to 72.
According to him, “Everything belongs to God and I’ve committed my life to Him.”
Indeed, Obey is a prophet in his own right, aside from the fact that he has eventually maintained gospel tunes; many see Obey as more than a musician. To his fans, he is a great prophet. His songs carry parables about death, humility, and trusting God. They prepare both him and his listeners for life’s uncertainties.
Take “Baba Lọ́rán Mi Wá Kẹ́mi Wá Lọ́ Gbà Tẹ̀mi” (from Evergreen Songs Original 17, 2010). In it, he speaks of the final call of life with such calm acceptance that it almost silences gossipers. Rather than dread, he offers dignity; rather than fear, faith.
Today, at 83, Ebenezer Obey is not alive; he is thriving. His story is one of resilience, faith, and music that refuses to fade.
In his own words: “Live every day in Him. Only God owns our lives.”
Despite being declared dead since 34, and rumoured to be gone 14 times, battling illness, prostate enlargement, and near-death surgeries, yet still waxing stronger at 83. Indeed, Ebenezer Obey is living proof that some legends never die, they endure!
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