Afrobeats star Asake say im dey 'devastated' afta fan die for Kenya concert stadium crush

Nigerian Afrobeats star Asake don speak afta di death of 20-year-old Karen Lojore, wey die afta one crush wey hapun for di concert e headline for Nairobi, Kenya.

For one statement on Monday, Asake say, "I dey devastated by di tragic incident wey happun for di festival on 20 December.

"My heart go out to di family, friends and loved ones of Karen Lojore," e tok, as e promise to support efforts to "understand wetin really hapun".

E say music na always im "way of sharing love and joy" and "e break my heart say anyone gatz experience such loss".

Asake add say make authorities hold those wey dey responsible accountable.

Meanwhile, Kenyans dey mourn di death of di young lady.

Karen Lojore die for night of Saturday 20 December 2025 afta di crush hapun for Nyayo Stadium during di concert.

Nyayo National Stadium get 18,000 capacity and na multipurpose stadium wey dey Nairobi, Kenya capital. Di stadium dey popular sake of di different national and social events wey dey hapun for dia.

Anoda music artiste wey also bin dey di concert na Gabzy, a British-Nigerian singer wey base for London.

Family and friends of di victim don call for full investigation and justice.

Kenya police tok-tok pesin Michael Muchiri, tell BBC say dem don begin investigations.

According to videos and fotos wey trend for social media, di gbege bin hapun wen wahala start for one side of di stadium and e make pipo begin dey rush.

Na from di rush di crush hapun and e lead to di death of di young Kenyan lady.

Meanwhile, di organiser of di concert, Tukutane Entertainment confam di incident say dem dey sad ontop di loss of life for dia event.

Karen death don cause serious tok-tok among Kenyans and oda music lovers wey attend di concert.

Di mama of di 20-year-old woman dey demand for justice.

For one post on social media wia she tag di concert organisers, Asake and co-headlining artist Gabzy, Karen mama write: "Wetin hapun to my pikin? Why her? I want justice for my pikin."

"During one musical concert for Nyayo National Stadium, brief stampede hapun for di entry gate.

"While di situation later calm down and fans dey able to access di stadium wit di concert progressing, di unfortunate case of a 20-year old woman wey dem press to death near di entry point dey recorded," Kenyan police tok-tok pesin Michael Muchiri tell BBC.

Wen BBC bin reach out to di organisers of di event, Tukutane, for comments, dem say dem dey work wit relevant authorities bifor dem release statement ontop di incident.

Di organiser of di concert, Tukutane Entertainment say dem dey sad for di incident.

"We dey deeply sad to confam say tragic incident hapun during our December

20th concert, wey result for di loss of life."

"Our hearts dey wit di family, friends, and loved ones wey affected by dis devastating loss."

According to di organiser, dem say dem no dey take safety of fans play and dem dey cooperate well well wit di authorities so dem go fit understand wetin really hapun.

"Out of respect for di family and di ongoing investigation, we no go speculate on di

circumstances wey surround di incident."

How di crush hapun

On 20 December 2025, music lovers gada for Nyayo stadium for Nairobi, Kenya wia dem bin wan attend concert wia popular music artiste, Asake and oda musical artistes dey perform.

Report say plenti pipo wey get ticket and di one wey no get ticket bin wan enta di stadium despite di heavy security wey dey.

Account from pipo wey attend di concert say di gbege hapun wen some fans wey no get ticket wan gain entrance into di concert venue.

Dem come begin dey push into di venue so dem go fit enta but di security no gree.

Pipo wey witness am and post dia experience for social media, say shortly afta, di crowd bin overpower di security.

Na di push and rush to enta di entrance cause di crush, according to eyewitness report.

Report say Karen get ticket to enta di venue but di gbege wey dey hapun for di entrance lead to her death.

One similar crush bin happun during Asake concert for di Brixton O2 Academy for south London for 2022, wen eight pipo land for hospital, wit four for critical condition.

Dat incident too, officers bin respond to reports of one big number of pipo wey dey try force dia way inside di venue.

Video for social media show one big crowd wey gada outside di venue, wit one pesin claiming on Twitter say more dan 1,000 pipo bin turn up witout tickets.

For di video footage, di crowd bin dey stretch from di road outside to di venue doors, wit pipo screaming, shouting and struggling.

Wetin to know about Asake

Asake, wey im real name be Ahmed Ololade, dey nominated for BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2023 award.

E dey described for di venue website as "one of di hottest breakout stars from Nigeria" and dey tour im debut album, Mr. Money with the Vibe

Born and raised for Lagos State, im songs be part of di Nigerian street-pop subgenre wey blend Afrobeats wit Amapiano, pop melodies and street-smart rap lyrics.

E bin get break-out hit for 2020 wit im single Lady.

Asake don get different era of how e don look wit im hairstyle since im bin blow up for 2020 afta di release of im hit single Mr Money.

E don go from fat dreads to longer braids and even do tinted hair at some point in im career.

So far, Asake don run three albums wit YBNL for im career, wey dem call Mr. Money With The Vibe, Work of Art and Lungu Boy.

Im first album Mr. Money With The Vibe bin break record for di Billboard 200 chart as di highest charting Nigerian debut album wey di chart don get at dat time.

For 2023, e win di Next rated award for di Headies for September.

Asake describe how im join di label for different interviews say, "na Yhemoleee show Olamide wetin I fit do, na so Olamide call me one day say make we see and wen we finally meet, witout any paparazzi, e ask me weda I wan join YBNL, somtin wey I don dey wait for years".

For 2022, e sell out O2 Arena for concerts wey last three days sotay two pipo lose dia life for December sake of crush wey hapun.

So far, e don get two nominations for di Grammy awards. For 2024, e bin dey nominated for Best African Music Performance for im song Amapiano.

E also dey nominated for di 2025 Grammys for di same category for di song MMS wey im do wit fellow musician, Wizkid.