Police in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, are investigating the death of a trans TikToker known as Abuja Area Mama, whose body was discovered beside a highway.
On TikTok, where she identified as female and openly discussed her work as a sex worker, Abuja Area Mama presented herself as a “cross-dresser and queen of the street.” According to Josephine Adeh, a police spokesperson in Abuja, “an unidentified lady was found lying motionless along the Katampe-Mabushi expressway” on Thursday. Initial investigations revealed the person was a man dressed in female clothing, with no identification on them.
Adeh stated that the case is being treated as a culpable homicide, and police are continuing their investigation. CNN has reached out to the authorities for further details.
In Nigeria, same-sex relationships are illegal, and LGBTQ+ individuals often face harassment.
Abuja Area Mama had previously experienced attacks and harassment. In a recent social media video, she recounted being stabbed by an unidentified assailant.
Just a day before her body was found, she posted on Instagram, stating she was “getting ready to go and see my boyfriend.”
She had also spoken openly about the dangers of her profession. “You could leave home at night to hustle and not return the next morning,” she said during a guest appearance on a YouTube podcast four months ago.
