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Nigerian musician Stephen “Papi Urhobo” Ebihor has died following a severe illness.

Urhobo Worldwide, a digital community and cultural platform that promotes Urhobo heritage, music, traditions and unity, announced his death in a statement posted on its Instagram page on Tuesday.

The platform did not disclose when Papi Urhobo died or provide details about the illness that claimed his life.

It also appealed to his fans and members of the public to avoid circulating unverified reports, particularly about his death and burial arrangements.

Urhobo Worldwide said the musician’s family would announce the burial date and other details in an official statement at a later time.

The statement read: “With profound sadness, we acknowledge the passing of our dear brother, friend, colleague, and fellow entertainer, Stephen Ebihor Aka Papy Urhobo.

We kindly appeal to the public, friends, colleagues, and fans to refrain from sharing unverified information or details about his burial arrangements until the family makes its official statement.

“The family will communicate with the public at the appropriate time. We appreciate everyone for the love, prayers, and support, and we urge friends and members of the public to put the wife and children he left behind in prayers at this difficult time. May Papy’s soul rest in perfect peace.”

Although the circumstances surrounding Papi Urhobo’s death remained unclear, the singer had earlier revealed that had an accident.

In a video he posted on Instagram on 29 July, Papi Urhobo said the accident left him with a cracked bone and prevented him from walking.

He appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance to pay for surgery, saying the treatment would help him walk again.

In another video posted on 2 August, he gave an update on his condition and thanked those who had contributed towards his medical expenses.

Meanwhile, Papi Urhobo’s wife also appealed for financial assistance to support her husband’s treatment.

In a video posted on the Facebook page of Ossai Success, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Delta State Governor, in August, she called on Nigerians to help raise money for the medical examinations required before doctors could perform the surgery.

She said her husband needed a scan or X-ray before the hospital would admit him for the procedure.

Papi Urhobo gained prominence for his distinctive vocals on Timaya’s 2007 hit, “Ogologomma”, where his performance became one of the song’s memorable elements.

The song was a track on Timaya’s debut studio album, “True Story.”

The Delta State-born musician built a reputation for his powerful voice and contributions to early Nigerian dancehall and Afropop recordings.

Papi Urhobo brought elements of his Urhobo musical heritage into his sound, combining the traditional influence with contemporary Nigerian rhythms and giving his vocal performances a distinct character.

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…as Thailand government begins investigation

A cosmetic clinic in Bangkok, Thailand, is under investigation following the death of Nigerian content creator Igho “Tiny” Ubiribo, who died less than a day after undergoing a penis enlargement procedure.

Ubiribo, a Nigerian socialite and influencer based in London, died on March 6 after receiving hyaluronic acid penile filler injections at the unnamed clinic. According to Westminster Coroner’s Court inquest records obtained by PEOPLE, a post mortem and toxicology examination found that his death was caused by the hyaluronic acid injection and a pulmonary embolism.

The development prompted Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health to order an investigation into the clinic on September 7. Authorities said Ubiribo began receiving treatments at the facility in 2024 and had undergone five penile enlargement injections before his death
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According to the clinic’s management, a doctor had advised Ubiribo before his final procedure on March 5 to split the treatment into two sessions. However, he requested that the entire injection be carried out in one session.

Hours after the procedure, Ubiribo reportedly complained of chest pain before collapsing. He was rushed to a local hospital for a CT scan but lost consciousness before it could be performed. Medical personnel performed CPR for 101 minutes, but he was pronounced dead at 1:05 a.m. on March 6.

Thai authorities inspected the clinic on September 7 to determine whether it complied with medical standards. The clinic maintained that Ubiribo had signed consent forms before each treatment, received aftercare instructions and had never complained about complications from previous procedures.

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Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has revealed that she turned down several lucrative offers, including some linked to politics, which she said could have easily made her a billionaire.

Speaking on an episode of the Afropolitan podcast, the actress said she rejected the offers because she was unwilling to compromise her principles.

Jalade-Ekeinde explained that some of the offers were not necessarily bad, but she still declined them because accepting them could eventually weaken what she represents.

She said there had been several occasions when she could have accepted lucrative offers without anyone knowing and compromised her stance in the process, but she chose to turn them down and walk away.

The actress disclosed that some of such opportunities were also connected to politics, adding that she had repeatedly rejected offers that would have paid her handsomely in exchange for compromising her principles.

According to her, although some of the offers did not appear to be wrong, they could have affected her foundation and belief system.

She added that she sometimes felt tempted to compromise because some of the opportunities did not initially appear bad, but she eventually chose to walk away because she believed they could dilute her message in the long run.

Jalade-Ekeinde further revealed that whenever she missed out on major financial opportunities because of her decision to reject such offers, she often experienced what she described as a financial miracle.