Adeyemi Kafayat, the estranged wife of Fuji musician Shanko Rasheed, has been awarded custody of their two surviving children following a public dispute that intensified after the death of their first child, Jamal. The resolution, facilitated by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) and private citizens, concludes a highly publicized custody battle.
The conflict emerged publicly in early May when Kafayat, during an interview on the “Talk to B” podcast hosted by actress Biola Adebayo, accused her husband of forcibly removing their two younger children from her care after the death of their teenage son, Jamal. She alleged a pattern of domestic abuse and abandonment, claiming the stress contributed to Jamal’s death from depression three weeks prior. Kafayat directly implicated Shanko in her son’s demise and appealed to authorities and the public for intervention to recover her remaining children.
Her account detailed a family tragedy compounded by custody disputes, framing the situation as a critical case of alleged parental abduction and domestic violence. The interview garnered significant attention on Nigerian social media, highlighting concerns over child welfare and the handling of domestic disputes within high-profile families.
The intervention came through coordinated efforts. Biola Adebayo, using her platform, amplified Kafayat’s case. In a subsequent Instagram post, Adebayo confirmed that Kafayat had successfully reclaimed custody of the two children. She credited the outcome to the involvement of “well-meaning Nigerians” and the official action taken by the Lagos State Government’s DSVA, the agency mandated to address domestic and sexual violence cases.
A photo shared by Adebayo showed K
