Nigerian star Asake has spoken out on Instagram amid reports that a woman was killed in a stampede outside the gates of his concert at Nairobi, Kenya’s Nyayo Stadium on Dec. 20.
According to the BBC, Kenya’s National Police Service said that a 20-year-old woman was crushed to death near an entry point of the stadium. Asake, the BBC, and several other outlets identified the victim as Karen Lojore.
“During a musical concert for Nyayo National Stadium, there was a brief stampede at the entrance gate,” a spokesperson for Kenya’s National Police Service told the BBC (translated from Pidgin). “While the situation later calmed down and fans were able to access the stadium with the concert progressing, an unfortunate case of a 20-year-old woman who was pressed to death near the entry point was recorded.” (Kenya’s National Police Service did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.)
On his Instagram Story, Asake wrote that he was “devastated by the tragic incident,” adding, “My heart goes out to the family, friends, and loved ones of Karen Lojore, and I pledge to support and do my best to understand what happened. Those responsible should be held accountable. Music has always been my way of sharing love and joy, and it breaks my heart that anyone had to experience such loss. My thoughts are with everyone grieving, and I pray that Karen rests in peace. God Bless Kenya.”
In a statement on Instagram, event organizer Tukutane Enertainment acknowledged a “loss of life” at the concert.
“The safety and well-being of everyone who attends our events is something we take very seriously,” the company continued. “We are cooperating fully with emergency services and the appropriate authorities as they work to understand what happened. Out of respect for the family and the ongoing investigation, we will not speculate on the circumstances surrounding the incident. We are committed to approaching this situation with care, transparency, and accountability, and will share additional information as appropriate and in coordination with the relevant authorities.”
Asake co-headlined the show at the 18,000 capacity stadium in Nairobi with British-Nigerian singer Gabzy. Asake announced the performance back in September as part of a slate of shows across Africa this winter.
This is not Asake’s first experience with a deadly crowd surge: in December 2022, two people were killed in a crowd crush at London’s Brixton Academy. At the time, he issued a statement on his “grief,” offering condolences for the deaths, and his work with police to “determine exactly what led to the disruption.” The following June, he told Rolling Stone, “Everything was just so overwhelming. After having 5,000 people inside my show, I still had over 4,000 people outside trying to enter.”
