Auto crash: Ijaw Nation, Diri mourn death of female musician, nine others

By Julius Osahon, Yenagoa

13 June 2023

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri

The Ijaw Nation were left mourning after prominent Ijaw Musician, Chief Barrister Smooth, a promising female highlife musician, Ikesima Brown, and five other members of his popular band lost their lives to a fatal road accident along the Abuja-Lokoja Highway on Sunday.

Since the news of the unfortunate accident was released, the Ijaw nation has been thrown into mourning, especially over the death of Brown, who was a very upcoming popular art known as the Queen of Highlife in the Niger Delta.

It was gathered that Smooth, whose musical band is admired across the Ijaw nation, was traveling from Warri to Abuja for a show when the vehicle carrying seven of the band members got involved in an accident.

The popular band was engaged by a state government to play at the swearing-in reception for National Assembly members in Abuja on Tuesday.

Those feared dead include: Chief Joseph Ekeremieye, Ikesima Brown, Ebis Awiki, Tuku, Sololo and others.

Commiserating with family and the Ujaw Nation over the sad incident, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, expressed deep sadness over the twin accidents that claimed the lives of the Ijaw indigenes on Sunday.

In one of the crashes along the Kogi-Abuja road, six band members of a popular Ijaw musician, Barrister Smooth, died while the other accident along the Kwale-Asaba highway, in Delta State, claimed four supporters of the Bayelsa Queens Football Club.

Governor Diri, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, yesterday, described it as a Black Sunday for Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.

He said the state was thrown into mourning as news of the sad incidents filtered in.

The Bayelsa governor said their death was painful as they were active and impacting lives through their musical talents as well as following their passion to support the state’s darling female football team.

“On behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State, I extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased.

“I also commiserate with the leader of the band, Barrister Smooth.

“These are very unfortunate and sad incidents that claimed the lives of our active youths.

“It is a great loss to our state and the Ijaw Nation as young talents and bread winners following their passion had suddenly departed.

“I pray that the Lord consoles the families for the painful loss that they have suffered.

“I also pray for quick healing and recovery for those that were injured,” Diri said.