South African authorities announced on Tuesday, February 27, that six individuals have been apprehended in connection with the homicide of Kiernan Forbes, widely recognized as AKA, one of the nation’s prominent rap artists.
AKA was fatally shot on February 10 of the previous year while in the company of a friend, Tibs, outside a popular restaurant in Durban, just hours before he was scheduled to perform at a nearby club.
Law enforcement disclosed that the 35-year-old rapper had been under surveillance from the moment he arrived at the airport until the tragic incident occurred.
“Six individuals have been detained and are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Each of these six played distinct roles in the murder,” stated police minister Bheki Cele during a press briefing in Durban.
According to South African authorities, the oldest suspect is 36 years old. They indicated that among those in custody are the alleged mastermind, two gunmen, two lookouts, and the individual responsible for coordinating the vehicle and firearms.
Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the provincial police commissioner, informed reporters at the press conference that some of the arrested individuals were also implicated in unrelated homicide cases.
He revealed that two suspects had fled to neighboring Eswatini but were apprehended with the assistance of Interpol and the Eswatini government, with extradition procedures set to commence shortly.
While suspicions regarding the motive exist, Mkhwanazi declined to elaborate further on the matter.
South Africa grapples with one of the highest homicide rates globally, with several figures from the entertainment industry counted among the victims.
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