Ivory Coast: singer Debordo Leekunfa arrested
The Ivorian coupé-décalé artist Debordo Leekunfa was arrested in Abidjan after his notable appearance on the show Willy à Midi by Willy Dumbo on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. He is being prosecuted for defamation and breach of contract, following complaints filed by his colleague Kerozen and promoter Nama Bouaké.
SUMMARY
Bad news for Ivorian coupé-décalé artist Debordo Leekunfa. After making remarks deemed defamatory toward Kerozen and Nama Bouaké, Debordo Leekunfa was arrested and taken into custody.
His arrest comes after videos circulated in which the artist claimed, among other things, that Kerozen kept weapons at his home. That statement reportedly led the singer of Victoire to file a defamation complaint. He denounces a serious attack on his honor and his safety.
But Kerozen’s complaint is not the only one targeting Debordo. Promoter Nama Bouaké, founder of Nama Bouaké Production, has also taken legal action for defamation and breach of contract, citing public allegations he considers serious and false.
Defamation, breach of contract and damage to reputation
According to a statement released by Nama Bouaké Production, Debordo Leekunfa allegedly made several baseless accusations against the company, accusing it in particular of swindling, running a fraudulent organization, human and animal sacrifices, as well as money laundering.
“I have suffered too many humiliations. My family, my children as well as my collaborators have been targeted with the aim of tarnishing my image and damaging the reputation I’ve been trying to build for years,” said Nama Bouaké.
The case led to a six-hour confrontation at the PLCC between the two parties, during which several pieces of evidence were reportedly presented, including performance contracts, airline ticket receipts and hotel invoices. At the end of that session, Debordo Leekunfa was reportedly referred to the public prosecutor to answer for the alleged offenses.
The artist’s remarks, described as defamatory, include among others “Nama Bouaké’s company scams artists”, “Fraudulent organization”, “I’ll take you down like a dog”, “He sacrifices children to succeed”, “He’s a bloodthirsty villain”, “Human sacrifices, animal sacrifices, money laundering”.
“No one is above the law,” the production company reminds, saying it intends to see the procedure through to clear its name and set an example in the entertainment industry. For its part, the public remains divided between supporting Debordo and calling for respect for the justice system.
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