Rumours surrounding Daddy Lumba’s past health scare have taken a new turn, as traditional healer Oheneba Ntim Barimah insists the Highlife legend once survived a poisoning attempt.
His account, shared on UTV’s United Showbiz with Empress Gifty on Saturday, December 6, 2025, revisits a story Lumba reportedly confided in him years ago.
According to Oheneba, the musician told him that during a visit to friends in Europe, he was served fufu that had been mixed with a harmful substance. He recalled that Lumba said he fell gravely ill soon after the meal and had to be rushed to a hospital.
The situation worsened, Oheneba explained, when medical staff refused to treat him. He claimed that a scan supposedly indicated the presence of cocaine, leading the doctors to believe Lumba had taken drugs and was unworthy of urgent care.
Oheneba recounted that the singer endured nearly two hours without treatment. He said it was only after the suspected cocaine-like substance had passed through Lumba’s system that the doctors eventually agreed to help him.
The traditional practitioner added that the ordeal left a lasting emotional scar on the artist. “Anytime Lumba shared this story, he cried,” Oheneba said.
After sharing this account, Oheneba expressed his frustration with the current confusion surrounding Lumba’s funeral arrangements, from conflicting dates to legal disputes and disagreements within the family. He argued that the musician’s survival alone should be a reason for unity.
He described Lumba’s escape from the poisoning incident as a divine sign of protection and insisted that this should guide decisions moving forward.
Oheneba Ntim Barimah urged relatives home and abroad, organisers, stakeholders and all factions involved to put aside their differences and honour the legend with a dignified and unified final farewell.
Watch his statement below.
