Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
THE Osun State Police Command has said preliminary investigations indicate that Nigerian Afrobeat star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, was the target of an attack that disrupted Governor Ademola Adeleke’s convoy in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The incident occurred shortly after Governor Adeleke visited the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, following his receipt of a Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recognition of his re-election.
Davido, the governor’s nephew, had accompanied him to the INEC office and the monarch’s palace.
According to the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, a suspected member of the Eye Confraternity identified as Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged”, allegedly attempted to gain access to Davido but was resisted by members of the singer’s security team.
Ojelabi said the confrontation subsequently attracted other suspected gang members in the area, who allegedly blocked the palace entrance and obstructed the movement of the governor’s convoy.
The confrontation reportedly escalated into an exchange of gunfire involving the suspected gang members and the governor’s security personnel.
Residents around Oja Oba, Osogbo, said the shooting caused panic in the area, with gunshots reportedly heard intermittently for more than 15 minutes.
The police said the suspected gang members later left the area and, while on their way, allegedly shot a 60-year-old man, Tajudeen Yusuf, at Itaolokan area of Osogbo.
Police officers who responded to the incident found Yusuf critically injured and rushed him to the University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, where he was pronounced dead by doctors.
The police command said it had commenced a full-scale investigation into the incident and intensified efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for the shooting.
The Commissioner of Police (Election), Osun State Command, CP Samuel Etaifo, condemned the incident and assured residents that the command would deploy all available resources to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The command also appealed to members of the public with useful information about the incident to contact the nearest police station or the police through its official channels.
The police urged residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands as investigations continue.
