In a devastating incident that occurred on June 11, 2023, the Niger Delta highlife queen, Ikesima Brown, along with five members of a prominent Ijaw musical band, Chief Barrister Smooth, tragically lost their lives in a motor accident. The heart-wrenching incident took place on the Abuja-Lokoja highway when a bus collided with a petrol tanker.
The ill-fated vehicle carrying the beloved band members had been commissioned by a state government. To perform at the swearing-in reception of National Assembly members in Abuja, scheduled for the following Tuesday. Witnesses reported that the band members had boarded a train from Warri to Kogi and were en route to Abuja when the Toyota Sienna they were traveling in collided with a fuel tanker, resulting in the loss of their lives at the scene of the accident.
The deceased have been identified as Chief Joseph Ekeremieye, Ikesima Brown, Ebis Awiki, Sololo, Tuku Eniekebi, and another unnamed member. This tragic incident has left the Niger Delta music community and fans in deep mourning. As they remember the immense talent and contributions of Ikesima Brown and the members of Chief Barrister Smooth.
