A Kumasi High Court hearing on Tuesday took a dramatic turn when counsel for the plaintiff, Akosua Serwaa Fosuh, suggested that Priscilla Ofori—popularly known as Odo Broni—was just 14 years old when she allegedly entered a relationship with highlife legend, the late Daddy Lumba.
The sensational claim surfaced during the cross-examination of James Beniako Boateng, the principal witness for the second defendant, Odo Broni. Mr. Boateng, a tax administrator and brother-in-law to the second defendant, told the court the musician met Odo Broni in 2006 while she was a final-year student at Ashley College.
Although he could not confirm whether the two were romantically involved at the time, Mr. Boateng said they eventually dated for four years before marrying on April 10, 2010.
Counsel for the plaintiff, Lawyer William Kusi, pressed the witness on timelines, insisting that by his team’s calculations, Odo Broni would have been 14 in 2006 but Mr. Boateng rejected the suggestion, saying he could not confirm her age.
The courtroom briefly halted as counsel for Odo Broni, Lawyer Kwasi Mensah Nyarko, objected, arguing that the line of questioning had no bearing on the validity of the alleged marriage. However, Lawyer Kusi fired back, insisting the age issue was central to his evidence strategy.
The judge ruled that the witness could choose whether or not to answer.
Mr. Boateng also testified that although Odo Broni enrolled at Kings Health College to pursue nursing, Daddy Lumba made her stop schooling, although he could not say in which year.
He further stated that the traditional marriage ceremony was held at Daddy Lumba’s Tantra Hills residence, not in the bride’s family home, as is customary under Akan tradition. According to him, Lumba assured Odo Broni’s family during the ceremony that his previous marriage to Akosua Serwaa had been dissolved.
The witness insisted no photos or media coverage were allowed at the ceremony.
Lawyer Kusi also challenged Mr. Boateng’s claim that Odo Broni gave birth 18 months after the marriage, pointing out that the first child was born in December 2011, almost 20 months later.
The witness conceded the calculation “could be true,” prompting counsel to assert that the timeline was manipulated to make the bride appear legally eligible for marriage. Boateng disagreed, stating he had never mentioned her date of birth.
