Ivorian authorities arrest 12 DJ Arafat fans who 'desecrated' his tomb

Twelve people have been arrested by authorities in Ivory Coast over the forced invasion of the grave of late music icon, DJ Arafat.

A press statement from the Mayor of Abidjan, Vincent Tohbi Irié, said “investigations continue for the arrest of all culprits and to locate the responsibilities at all levels.”

The burial ceremony last Friday of the musician turned chaotic after his fans stomped his graveyard. The Mayor’s office referred to the incident as a “desecration of the tomb” of the musician.

Reports say unhappy to be kept away from seeing the last remains of DJ Arafat, some fans forcefully opened his grave and coffin before taking photos and videos of the corpse and subsequently posting same on social networks.

The crowd had overwhelmed the police officers securing the grave.

This happened after an overnight funeral concert where tens of thousands paid tribute to the King of the off beat coupé decale in a stadium in Abidjan. The artist died on August 12, 2019 as a result of a motorcycle accident.

COMMUNIQUÉ DU PRÉFET D’ABIDJAN
Suite à la profanation de la tombe de l’artiste DJ Arafat, 12 personnes ont été interpellées.
Les enquêtes se poursuivent pour l’interpellation de tous les coupables et pour situer les responsabilités à tous les niveaux.
VINCENT TOHBI IRIÉ pic.twitter.com/xlZYbnIC6K

— Life Magazine (@LifeMagazine_CI) September 1, 2019