Ebenezer Obey, a veteran Nigerian singer, says he is not dead as rumoured in some quarters.
On Saturday, unverified claims swirled on various social media platforms that the music legend had breathed his last.
But in an Instagram live session with Dele Momodu, a media personality, Obey described the rumours as “untrue”.
He said it is not yet time for him to die because he is yet to complete his God-given assignment on earth.
The 78-year-old musician also appreciated those who called him to confirm the veracity of the reports, noting it was indicative of people’s love for him.
“My phone has been buzzing all day. People have been calling me. I’m not surprised though, because of the affection people have for me,” he said in a mixture of Yoruba and English.
“It’s not yet time for me to die. I’ve not finished what God sent me to do. I must fulfill my purpose and complete my assignment. It (death) is something that will surely come but now.”
The iconic singer, dubbed ‘chief commander’ by his fans, is renowned for his highlife-juju brand of music.
Obey, who is now an evangelist, kickstarted his music career in the mid-1950s and has continued to pull the strings since then.
The development further stretches the list of celebrities who have come out to dispel death rumours about them since the dawn of the year.
In June, Hanks Anuku, a Nollywood actor, had taken to social media to debunk claims he had died.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) also quashed reports that Olu Jacobs, another Nollywood star, had passed on.
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