City of Wisdom's prophet and counsellor, Counsellor D.Y. Donkoh, who prophesied the death of Ghanaian dancehall artist Shatta Wale, has issued a formal apology to the singer.

In a statement dated July 27, Counsellor D.Y. Donkoh acknowledged the need for him to offer an apology for the trauma and panic he has caused Shatta Wale following the doom prophecy he gave in a video shared on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, July 22.

"I, Counsellor D Y DONKOH, find it right to address the recent prophecy I shared concerning Ghanaian music icon Shatta Wale. The prophecy, which was delivered on all my social media platforms, has since sparked widespread concern, and I find it necessary to offer an apology on the matter," parts of the statement read.

The pastor's apology has become necessary after he shared the video of how he received two visions about the musician’s fate. In the first vision, Shatta Wale was attacked by armed men but managed to escape and later thanked God on social media. In the second vision, the prophet said three gunmen ambushed Shatta Wale and fatally shot him.

Just a day after the Reverend's prophecy went viral, Shatta Wale took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, July 23, and said he was traumatised, calling for the arrest of the pastor, which the Ghana Police swiftly responded to and apprehended the pastor on July 26.

Aside from Shatta Wale's reaction, social media was thrown into a frenzy over the 'Gringo' hitmaker's death prophecy, drawing police arrest calls from his fans.

Although he admitted that the vision he saw about the artist was divine and not concocted, he highlighted that he should have exercised discretion, citing the fear and trauma it might have caused the dancehall artist.

“I deeply regret the trauma my message may have caused Shatta Wale and his team," Counsellor D.Y. Donkoh said.

Consequently, he has pledged to do better in the future. "Going forward, I will exercise greater spiritual discretion and sensitivity in the delivery of any such message”.

He acknowledged the gravity of his words, particularly in the public scope, while extending his apologies to Shatta Wale.

"As a servant of God, I understand the weight of my words, especially when shared on a public platform. I empathise deeply with Shatta Wale and his loved ones. I extend my heartfelt apologies for any fear or mental distress caused.

Moving forward, I commit to exercising greater caution, discretion, and spiritual sensitivity in how prophetic revelations are shared, especially on public forums," he added.

He expressed his commitment to "delivering God's message in truth, love, and always guided by wisdom."

Meanwhile, Shatta Wale's management has confirmed the dancehall artist's emotional distress, a disruption of his peace of mind, which has prompted immediate calls for psychological support and therapy.

Shatta Wale’s management team, through Sammy Flex, his immediate past manager and current Public Relations Officer (PRO), announced on social media through a statement on Friday, July 25, and interviews with local media outlets.

The post read, “Shatta Wale is really traumatised… and it’s worrying to the whole management team. Remedy and therapy are needed immediately for him. On God.”

This is not the first time Shatta Wale has received a death prophecy. In October 2021, a Ghanaian pastor named Jesus Ahuofe, born Bishop Stephen Kwesi Appiah, gave a prophecy that Shatta Wale would be shot and killed on October 18, 2021—the same day as the late Tupac Shakur’s birthday.

In response, Shatta and his team announced on social media that the dancehall artist had been attacked and shot by unknown gunmen on the evening of October 18 and was receiving treatment.

His aide at the time, Nana Dope, shared updates of his staged attack on social media, fueling the hoax.

The news spread rapidly, causing panic nationwide, particularly among his fanbase.

After police launched an investigation, it was revealed that Shatta Wale had staged the incident to draw attention to the prophecy.

Shatta Wale was then arrested and charged with publication of false news and causing fear and panic

He was remanded in custody and later fined GH₵2,000 or faced a 3-month jail term.

The prophet, Jesus Ahuofe, was also arrested and detained briefly.

Death prophecies in Ghana, particularly among celebrities, are nothing new. Popular musicians such as Sarkodie, Wendy Shay, Stonebwoy, among others, have received prophecies from different men of God in the past years.

In 2018, Ghanaian rapper and legend Prophet Cosmos Walker Affran gave a death prophecy about him, saying he would die in a car crash, and hence urged him to pray. Though he did not reply, fans and netizens slammed the pastor, calling the prophecy fear-mongering.

Ebony Reigns (Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng) also met an untimely death after she was involved in a car crash on the Sunyani road in February 2018. This was after Prophet Nigel Gaisie, widely called Eagle Prophet, prophesied in late 2017 that the dancehall artist would die in a car crash.

He was not the only pastor who had predicted her death. Several others, including Rev Owusu Bempah, founder and leader of Glorious Word Power Ministry International, issued a prophecy that a "great musician" will die soon. Another prophecy about Ebony's death, which was met with heavy backlash, was one from Prophet Agyei Agyeman Fredua of Rafa Ministries posted on Facebook in 2017 that “God will soon strike Ebony down.”

Wendy Shay was also prophesied to by Jesus Ahocfe in 2020 that if she doesn't give her life to Christ, she will be kidnapped and killed for money rituals.

“Tell Wendy Shay that if she does not give her life to God before December, some people will kidnap her to acquire powers. Spiritually, I see her being kidnapped and placed in a small room for 21 days and crying, after which she will be sacrificed. Wendy Shay, this is a bad year for her—tell her.”

Wendy, in response, visited the pastor's church and stated that “God’s grace and favour can exceed common sense.”

She explained that while many fans urged her to ignore the prophecy and rely on logic, she believed that divine intervention could go beyond human reasoning. Wendy added, “God reveals to redeem.”

Stonebwoy also received a prophecy from Nigel Gaisie about an impending spiritual attack, urging him to pray.

The 'Jejereje' singer did not respond publicly; however, netizens did, with some questioning the authenticity of the prophecy.

Former IGP Dampare, following the rise in doom prophecies and predictions from pastors, issued a directive banning public declarations of doom prophecies in December 2021. This was to deal with the rise in death prophecies, which was causing fear and panic, especially during the 31st December watchnight services.

Since then, the police have reiterated and enforced the directive annually, with December 27th now recognised as “Prophecy Communication Compliance Day.”