By ‘Dayo Showemimo
In what is yet another tragic death of a Nigerian youngster outside the shores of the country, a young Nigerian rapper has been killed in the UK.
The latest incident, regarding aspiring teenage rapper, Isaiah Ekpaloba, occurred on January 9, 2015 after he was severely stabbed in Wood Green. The 18-year old Nigerian was allegedly involved in a heated argument with another teenager when a fight broke out and both teenagers suffered stab wounds.
Struggling to stay alive, late Isaiah made his way to a nearby hospital but died shortly after and describing the late Isaiah, an unnamed 18-year-old friend said: ‘He was so full of life and had a cheeky smile and would give you the tightest hug. He wanted to do good things and show the world he was someone special.’
Already, police officers in the UK have arrested and charged Jaydee Dorsett, a 19-year old residence of Wood Green with late Ekpaloba’s murder. Observers only hope justice would be served in due course, unlike in such other cases.
The latest death of the young Nigerian abroad painfully brings to mind the death of Damilola Taylor on November 27, 2000 after what is believed to have been an attack by bullies led to Damilola’s death just 10 days before his 11th birthday.
The death of late Toba Falode, son of popular female football advocate, broadcaster and CAF official, Aishat Falode; in far away Dubai also remains very vivid in memory as well as the death of several Nigerian students in countries around the world.
Like the case of Toba, also a budding rapper known as Tyler Fey, and many others killed in painful circumstances outside Nigeria, officials of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs might not as much as bother about it, let alone seek an inquest into an incident so tragic for the family of the late boy, their friends and all Nigerians.
