Veteran Nigerian pop singer, Chris Mba, has died of a heart-related disease.

The Abia State-born artiste died on Wednesday night, May 3, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.

Michael Odiong, the General Manager of Premier Music, announced the sad news in a statement on Thursday, May 4.

Reacting to the passage of the singer in a post on Facebook, the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organisation, through its Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, said “I am beyond sad at the loss of my colleague and friend, Chris Mba, a great musician, whose contribution to the repositioning of the Highlife sound is unquestionable. Not too long ago, I visited Chris at his Surulere home with the great Richard Cole, my colleague on the COSON Board. We went to share camaraderie with him despite his ill health and offer whatever support we could. His death is devastating but we are consoled by the fact that as a great artiste, he left great recordings to which we continue to sing and dance to. Our heartfelt condolences go to his family, friends and numerous fans”.