Timaya Recounts the Painful Experience of the Odi Massacre

Renowned Nigerian music artist Timaya has opened up about the devastating Odi massacre of 1999, which took place in his home state, Bayelsa.

The singer reflected on the tragic incident, attributing the brutal attack on the town of Odi, primarily inhabited by the Ijaw people, to the Nigerian Army. The military invasion, he revealed, was executed under direct orders from the federal authorities at the time.

In an emotional recount, Timaya emphasized that the event struck very close to home. He revealed that his mother was running a bakery business in Odi when the incident occurred.

He stated that the military intervention led to immense destruction, resulting in both the loss of human lives and valuable properties.

Timaya further disclosed that his tribute to the victims of the massacre came in the form of his 2007 breakthrough single, “Dem Mama”, which gave vivid detail of the tragic incident. His bold move to spotlight the massacre through music earned him the revered title of Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa.

In his words, “Odi was a part of me because my mother had a bakery there, supplying many surrounding villages. It was the very community that suffered the attack.”

The artist described the event as heartbreaking, saying, “We lost countless lives, historical significance, and properties. It’s hard when a government can issue an order to ‘shoot these people down.’”

“I poured my heart into a song narrating the story of how the military razed the village. That was my way of speaking out. Telling that story gave me a voice. The people made me their representative by honoring me with the title Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa, which means I became the voice of the people.”

For more historical background on the Odi massacre, refer to BBC’s coverage of the 1999 Odi events .