KINGSTON, Jamaica— Representatives of incarcerated dancehall star Desmond ‘Ninjaman’ Ballentine have said that unscrupulous people have hacked the artiste’s Instagram and Facebook pages and are now putting out false information suggesting that he is sickly, and needs a kidney transplant.

The miscreants are also asking members of the public to give donations towards the deejay’s surgery.

“Ninjaman is not sick, ah lie dem a tell, Ninjaman no bruk, he is fit and healthy inna the General Penitentiary,” the representative of Ninjaman told Observer Online.

A message posted on the Don Gorgon’s page claimed that “Desmond ‘Ninjaman’ Ballentine is very sick at the hospital. He needs to raise up enough money to have kidney surgery transplant done”, and then proceeded to ask for donations from the public.

“We just want the public to be aware of this scam. These unscrupulous people were told to hand over the artiste’s Instagram page to his niece but the person has refused, and are now plotting to scam the public and spread rumours that Ninja is sick, dem a tief, robber and liar plotting to tear down artistes,” the representative said.

Ninja Man is currently serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2017 for the 2009 murder of a Kingston man. The 57-year-old must serve at least 25 years in prison before he is eligible to be released on parole.

Ninjaman has had a colourful dancehall career based on his electrifying live performances all over the world and his hard-won ‘bad-man’ dancehall persona. He is known for singles such as ‘My Weapon’, ‘Reality Now’, ‘Permit to Bury’, ‘Murder Dem’, ‘Write Your Will’, ‘Old Picture Frame’, ‘Education’, ‘Legalise the Herb’ and ‘A No Cub Scout’ featuring Bounty Killer.

—Claude Mills