Nigerian music star Timaya has spoken again about the painful Odi massacre that happened in his hometown, Bayelsa, back in 1999. The event changed his life forever.

In a recent interview, Timaya said the attack by the Nigerian Army on the Ijaw community wasn’t just something he heard about in the news. It affected him personally and deeply.

“It became part of me,” he said. At the time, his mother ran a bakery in Odi that supplied bread to nearby villages. But all of that was destroyed when the town was attacked.

Timaya explained that the military invasion, which many believe was ordered by the government, caused terrible damage. Many people lost their lives and homes. The event left a lasting scar in the heart of Bayelsa.

“It’s painful because we lost lives, property, and even our history,” Timaya said emotionally. “How can a government just decide to send soldiers to wipe out a community?”

Instead of staying silent, Timaya turned his pain into powerful music. In 2007, he released the hit song Dem Mama, which told the story of what happened in Odi. The song helped people understand the suffering and pain of the people there.

“I told the story of how soldiers came and burned down our village,” he said. “That song helped me speak up and people paid attention.”

Because of his courage to speak the truth through his music, Timaya was later given the title “Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa,” which means “the voice of the people.” A name that truly fits him.