“My Mum Had a Bakery In The Village” – Timaya Shares Personal Loss From Odi Attack

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Nigerian music icon Timaya has revisited the painful memories of the 1999 Odi massacre in Bayelsa State, describing it as both a national tragedy and a deeply personal loss.

The singer recounted how the Nigerian Army, acting on government orders, launched a military operation against the mainly Ijaw community of Odi, resulting in significant destruction and numerous casualties.

Timaya revealed that the attack hit close to home, as his mother ran a bakery in Odi, supplying goods to the local villages. “Odi was part of me, too, because my mum had a bakery in the village and was supplying the whole villages… It was the village that was attacked,” he said.

He expressed the emotional weight of the event, emphasizing the devastating loss of lives and heritage. “It’s very touching because we lost lives, a lot of things and history. You know when the government just says ‘go and shoot these people down’,” Timaya added.

The massacre inspired his 2007 hit song ‘Dem Mama,’ where he shared the story of the military’s destruction of the village. Through this track, Timaya said he became the voice for his people, earning him the traditional title Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa State.

“I sang about it. That is the most I can do. I told the story, how they sent the military to burn down the village. I narrated my story and it helped me to get an impact. I became the voice, which they gave me the title of the Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa State. That is the mouthpiece of the people,” he explained.

The Odi massacre, which occurred in November 1999, remains one of the most contentious military operations in Nigeria’s democratic history, with human rights organizations condemning the level of violence against civilians.

Watch him speak below…

"My mum had a bakery in Odi... it was the village that was attacked. It's very touching because we lost lives, a lot of things and history. You know when the government just says 'go and shoot these people down' ..."

- Timaya pic.twitter.com/EA8oCMPMEM

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