Afrobeats star Rema addresses 'satanic symbolism' in sold-out London concert

Popular Nigerian Afrobeats singer Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has addressed the illuminati allegations trailing his recent sold-out performance at the 02 Arena in London, UK.

Shortly after the show, which saw Rema follow in the footsteps of the likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido, fans started talking about Rema's dramatic entrance which comprised a 'devilish' mask and an odius, stationary horse on which he performed, which emitted dark imagery and fiendish symbolism.

On his second stage appearance, Rema was clothed in a red and black futuristic military gear attire while he rode to the stage on the back of a large bat whose eyes were covered in red.

Rema's bold choice of stagecraft and dark, provocative aesthetics generated sharp reactions from some of the concertgoers - and fans online - who found it to have elements of satanism.

Speaking on the developments in a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Rema downplayed the concerns saying that the alleged demonic mask was a remake of the bronzes of his Nigerian ancestors.

The Edo-born superstar explained that the artificial horse he rode on stage with was a replica of a Benin artifact, and the mask he wore was a replica of the famous Queen Idia mask.

Additionally, the artificial bat he rode on stage during his second appearance was said to be a homage to the bats that dot the Edo night sky.

He wrote: "RAVAGE UPRISING/ My Ancestors bronzes sit in the museum of this very city so I remade mine. Hence, Edo is redefined, the map reshaped, your minds awakened & the mask reborn. Thank you, London!"

At the same time, Nigeria's Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State congratulated Rema on his sold-out concert at London’s 02 Arena.

He said the people of the state were proud of Rema, “especially his personification of the Edo heritage.”

On his X handle, Obaseki wrote, “We are indeed proud of the enigma of Rema and what he has come to represent, especially his personification of the Edo heritage. We applaud his genius and celebrate him as he takes the world stage by storm.”

The critically-acclaimed show ended up exceeding the curfew by 20 minutes, and Rema will be facing fines, with The O2 Arena reportedly imposing a penalty of £10,000 (Ksh.1.6 million) per minute for overrunning.