BY ODIGIE OKPATAKU 

Nigerian music star Timaya has opened up once again about the heartbreaking Odi massacre that shook his hometown in Bayelsa back in 1999 — and how it changed his life forever.

In a recent interview, the singer revealed that the attack by the Nigerian Army on the Ijaw community wasn’t just a news headline to him — it was personal. “It was part of me,” he said.

His mother ran a bakery in Odi at the time and was a major supplier across surrounding villages before everything was reduced to rubble.

According to Timaya, the military invasion — reportedly ordered by the government — led to the loss of lives, destruction of properties, and a wound in the heart of Bayelsa that time hasn’t healed.

“It’s very touching because we lost lives, a lot of things, and history,” he shared emotionally. “You know when the government just says, ‘go and shoot these people down’?”

Timaya later turned his pain into protest through music. In 2007, he released the explosive hit track “Dem Mama”, a song that boldly narrated the Odi massacre in raw detail.

“I told the story, how they sent the military to burn down the village,” he said. “I narrated my story and it helped me to get an impact.”

In recognition of his bold voice and bravery, Timaya was later honoured with the title “Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa” — meaning mouthpiece of the people.