A controversial transgender TikToker who shared her life as a sex worker online has been found murdered in Nigeria.
The body of the social media star, who went by the name Abuja Area Mama, was found battered and bruised on the side of a road on Thursday.
Abuja Area Mama had a loyal fan base and posted on TikTok about her experience as a transgender person and sex worker.
But its content was not widely accepted in Nigeria, where same-sex relationships are criminalised and homophobic abuse towards LGBTQ+ content creators online is common.
Her body was discovered on the Katampe-Mabushi Expressway in the capital, Abuja, just hours after she posted online that she was going to meet her boyfriend.
Police are treating the death of Abuja Area Mama as a murder and teams of detectives have visited the scene, local media reported.
The body of TikToker ‘Abuja Area Mama’ was found battered and bruised on the side of a road on Thursday
Abuja Area Mama had a loyal fan base and posted on TikTok about her experience as a transgender person and sex worker.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the individual was a man dressed entirely in women’s clothing and without any means of identification,” the police statement said.
Last September, Abuja Area Mama, who never used her full name and sometimes referred to herself as Ifeanyi, told how she had been attacked and now feared for her life.
She claimed she was stabbed in circumstances that remain unclear.
Abuja Area Mama described herself on her TikTok profile as “Abuja’s number one crossdresser and street queen.”
She previously said she shared her life on social media in an attempt to educate others.
The 33-year-old’s sudden death on Thursday has sparked an outpouring of grief online.
Martins Ifijeh, a Nigerian journalist, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Taking the law into your own hands because you don’t like someone’s sexual orientation is the worst form of inhumanity.”
Her body was discovered along the Katampe – Mabushi Expressway in the capital Abuja, just hours after she posted online that she was going to meet her boyfriend.
Abuja Area Mama described herself on her TikTok profile as “Abuja’s number one crossdresser and street queen.”
Another user added: ‘She was murdered for living her truth, her resilience in the face of hate and violence will never be forgotten.
“No one deserves to die for being themselves.”
A third added: The tragic death of the Abuja “Area Mom”, attacked because of her sexuality, highlights the violent consequences of such attitudes.
“We must advocate for change and protect all Nigerians, regardless of their identity.”