The family of late Nigerian singer Destiny Boy has revealed that they have struggled to access his phone and bank account months after his death, exposing a problem that is becoming increasingly common in a digital economy: what happens to your digital life when you die?
Destiny Boy, whose real name was Afeez Adesina, died in January 2026 at the age of 22. His family recently said they have been unable to unlock his phone despite taking it to technicians in Lagos. They also said the phone contained information that could have helped them deal with his finances.
His family reportedly said his wife previously knew his phone password but lost access after he changed it following withdrawals from his account. Since his death, the family says they have been unable to access the money in his bank account.
The story has understandably generated conversations about passwords and whether people should leave access details with trusted relatives.
But the bigger issue is that a password is not the same thing as legal ownership. Even if someone knows the deceased person’s banking password, that does not automatically make them legally entitled to take control of the account. Nigerian banking rules recognize processes involving executors and administrators of estates, with probate or Letters of Administration providing the legal basis for dealing with a deceased person’s assets.
The problem is that most people’s estate planning has not caught up with the way they now live. A person’s wealth may be spread across bank accounts, investment platforms, digital wallets, social-media accounts, email addresses, online businesses and intellectual property. Yet many families still plan estates around physical property and bank documents.
Nigeria’s financial regulations do provide mechanisms for beneficiaries and legal representatives to claim funds from deceased or dormant accounts. The CBN’s current guidelines specifically recognise claims by next-of-kin and legal representatives when appropriate legal evidence is provided.
What remains less visible is how families are supposed to navigate the wider digital estate surrounding those assets. Destiny Boy’s case is therefore a warning beyond the entertainment industry. Young Nigerians in particular may have significant digital and financial assets long before they think they need an estate plan.
The answer is not simply giving someone your banking PIN or phone password. It is having a legally recognized plan for who should manage your assets, where important records can be found and how your family can prove its entitlement. The law may protect the money, but families also need a clear path to finding and claiming it.
