12 people – suspected to be fans- have been arrested in connection with the opening of late DJ Arafat’s coffin.
After opening the coffin where DJ Arafat was buried to confirm he was truly dead, 12 people – suspected to be fans – have been arrested by the police.
According to the BBC, the arrest was made on Monday, September 2, 2019, 48 hours after the incident.
On Saturday, August 31, 2019, fans of the late DJ Arafat besieged his grave to open the coffin he was buried in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
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The fans, who swarm around the graveyard, opened the coffin to take photos of the corpse. They also tried touching his body to confirm it’s their music idol.
This commotion prompted the Ivorien police to fire teargas to disperse the huge crowd.
Dozen fans arrested for opening DJ Arafat’s coffin
After a private family burial at the Williamsville cemetery in Abidjan’s working-class Adjame district, events took a dark turn as fans battled police preventing them from entering the cemetery.
However, several of the fans made it into the cemetery after which they forced open the fresh grave and coffin.
The coffin opening came after an overnight funeral concert where tens of thousands of Ivorians and citizens of neighbouring African countries paid tribute to the late Arafat.
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Throughout the night, A-list African stars such as Davido, Sidiki Diabate, Fally Ipupa and Serge Beynaud had sung in memory of DJ Arafat, who died aged 33 on August 12, 2019, after a motorbike crash in Abidjan.
On Saturday morning, August 31, 2019, before the private burial, DJ Arafat’s casket was placed at the centre of the 35,000-capacity Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan, drawing wild applause before the mood turned sad and many of his fans burst into tears.
12 fans arrested after opening DJ Arafat’s coffin
