Hundreds of Nigerians rallied in Lagos Thursday to demand an investigation into last week's death of an upcoming singer, whose sudden demise has fired up the country's Afrobeats world.
Nigerians rally in Lagos after death of Afrobeats star
People hold candle lights and a flare during a minute of silence at a protest inside a park in Lagos, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, to demand justice for Afrobeat star Mohbad
-
Copyright © africanews
Sunday Alamba/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved
MohBad, whose real name was Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, a singer and rapper who wrote hits such as "Feel Good", died mysteriously last Tuesday aged 27.
The cause of his death has been the subject of widespread speculation.
"I'm mentally drained. I feel so sad that how could someone be bullied to this moment and they see that they take his life," said Mama J., a Fashion designer.
Nigeria's social media has been flooded with indignation over Mohbad's passing, with some alleging that he had been harassed by powerful members of the country's hugely influential music industry.
National police in Lagos State, Nigeria's economic and cultural capital, announced Monday that they had formed a special team to conduct a "fair and transparent investigation."
"Nobody deserves to die at 27 now, nobody deserves to die an untimely death, nobody deserves to die without knowing what killed them, nobody deserves to die that way, it's wrong, it should be something that everybody should be concerned with, every other artist out there, every creative out there should be concerned about the death," said Eltee Skahillz, an Afrobeat star.
MohBad's career took off in 2019, after being signed by the powerful record label of famous rapper Naira Marley, one of the country's leading performers. The two parted ways in 2022 after disagreements.
In recent days, some fans online accused the rapper's team of having a link in MohBad's death, with an online petition which has gathered more than 250,000 signatories.