The Osun State Police Command has said preliminary investigations indicate that Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, was the apparent target of a confrontation that erupted around the convoy of Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Ataoja of Osogbo’s palace on Wednesday.
The incident occurred shortly after Governor Adeleke visited the palace following his receipt of a Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission after his re-election in Saturday’s governorship election. Davido, the governor’s nephew, had accompanied him during the day’s activities.
Gunfire broke out around the palace as the governor’s security personnel confronted suspected hoodlums, causing panic in parts of the Oja Oba area of Osogbo. Earlier accounts confirmed that the governor’s convoy encountered suspected attackers around the palace, with security personnel responding to the disturbance.
Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said the command’s preliminary investigation suggested that suspected members of the Eiye Confraternity were attempting to reach Davido when his security personnel resisted them.
According to the police account, one Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged,” allegedly attempted to gain access to the musician but was prevented from doing so by members of Davido’s security team. Police said other suspected gang members subsequently became involved, temporarily blocking access to the palace and obstructing the movement of the governor’s convoy.
Taoreed, also known as Small Rugged, has previously been identified by police and Nigerian media in connection with alleged cult-related activities in Osogbo. He was arrested in 2019 after police said he had been wanted following an earlier court case and subsequent bail.
The police said the confrontation later turned deadly when a 60-year-old man identified as Tajudeen Yusuf was shot at the Itaolokan area of Osogbo.
Officers responding to the incident reportedly found Yusuf lying in a pool of blood and transported him to the University Teaching Hospital in Osogbo, where doctors pronounced him dead.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, and the police have not announced any arrest in connection with Wednesday’s incident. The command also has not said that investigators have established a motive for the alleged attempt to reach Davido beyond its preliminary account of suspected cult involvement.
Commissioner of Police for the Osun election operation, Samuel Etaifo, condemned the violence and said the command would deploy available resources to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Police urged residents with information that could assist investigators to contact the nearest police station or the command through its official channels, while appealing for calm and warning against retaliation.
The development comes only days after Davido played a prominent role in his uncle’s re-election campaign. The singer had temporarily stepped up his political involvement ahead of the August 15 governorship election and publicly raised concerns about security arrangements surrounding his movement into Osun State.
Investigators are expected to determine the sequence of events surrounding the confrontation, who fired the fatal shot that killed Yusuf, and whether the alleged attempt to reach Davido was connected to wider cult, criminal or political activity.
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