Last pics of Prigozhin alive where locals called him the ‘second Nelson Mandela’

Dead Russian Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was dubbed the “second Nelson Mandela” just days before he was killed in a fiery plane crash.

The 62-year-old was one of 10 people killed when his Embraer Legacy 600 plane plummeted to the ground on a flight between St Petersburg and Moscow last week.

His DNA was confirmed by Russian officials, and an investigation into the crash is still ongoing.

READ MORE: Prigozhin’s headstone poem revealed as bizarre phrase fuels conspiracy he’s still alive

A behind-closed-doors funeral was held earlier this week, and tributes are now being paid to him on several Wagner-backed Telegram groups.

The biggest one of those is the Grey Zone channel.

Prigozhin was said to have been in Africa, another part of the world where Wagner mercenaries are paid to carry out government bidding, in recent weeks.

And in a post paying tribute to him, a photo of Prigozhin alongside three people from “Africa” was posted.

It doesn't specify where or when the photo was taken, but the commentary from the Wagner-run channel makes for some bizarre reading.

They said: “Photo of Evgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin with grateful people of Africa, where some called him the 'second Nelson Mandela'

Another two photos from the same trip claimed it was from the Central African Republic, and were posted by another Telegram channel called Wagner Group – although several channels are linked to the mercenary group.

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  Funeral for Prigozhin held 'behind closed doors' as rumours spread he's still alive

They claim the images were the “last photos” taken of him alive.

However, it could be that more pictures may soon emerge of him . . . very much alive and well.

Comments made earlier this week by Russian expert Valery Solovey, have sparked wild theories that he is still alive.

He said of the crash: “Prigozhin himself was not on board.‌

“His double was flying instead of him – Vladimir Putin is perfectly aware of that.

‌“If you….believe official statements of the Russian authorities, then what can I say…?”

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