Reports emerging from Addis Ababa have drawn sharply conflicting accounts over a wave of arrests linked to public reaction to the release of Ethiopian singer Teddy Afro’s newly released music.
According to one report circulating on social media and among local sources, at least 105 youths were detained in the capital after allegedly gathering in connection with the album and using the music to “incite protest.” The report said 80 of those detained were being held at the Federal Criminal Investigation facility, while 25 others were reportedly taken to the Third Police Division in Addis Ababa. It also stated that many of the detainees were under the age of 18. At the time of that report, neither the Federal Police nor Addis Ababa Police had publicly confirmed or denied the arrests.
The same account said the arrests came after widespread excitement over Teddy Afro’s new album, which was released on Thursday on the artist’s official YouTube page. One of the tracks reportedly gained more than nine million views in less than two days. The report further alleged that state-owned media coverage of the album was later removed and that officials had ordered state media not to air the new song. It also claimed that Teddy Afro’s planned press conference had been banned before the album’s release.
However, a separate statement from government-linked outlets presented a very different narrative. In that version, the National Intelligence and Security Service said 138 suspects had been arrested in coordinated operations involving federal and regional security forces. The statement described the detainees as individuals allegedly working with “terrorist and extremist forces” to undermine peace and security, disrupt the country’s upcoming general election, and carry out violent activity in Addis Ababa and other areas.
That statement further alleged that the suspects were involved in organizing cells for armed groups, smuggling weapons and ammunition, trafficking humans, and trading contraband goods. It also claimed some suspects had received terrorism-related training in Somalia and had links to al-Shabaab and ISIS. The service said weapons, explosives, ammunition, foreign currency, and other items had been seized during the operation.
The two accounts have not been independently verified, and it remains unclear whether the arrests reported in connection with Teddy Afro’s album are the same as the 138 arrests described by the security service. The timing of the reports, however, has fueled public concern and debate over whether the government is treating youthful music-related enthusiasm as a security threat or using broader counterterrorism claims to justify a coordinated crackdown.
As of now, authorities have not provided a clear public explanation reconciling the two narratives.
