Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has denied reports that gunfire during his uncle Ademola Adeleke’s visit to the Ataoja of Osogbo’s palace was an attack on their entourage.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, shortly after Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission following his victory in the Saturday, August 15 Osun governorship election.
Adeleke later visited the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, accompanied by Davido, where gunfire was reportedly heard around the palace and panic spread among residents and traders in the area.
Initial reports described the incident as an attack on Adeleke’s convoy, with an exchange of gunfire reportedly lasting between 12 and 15 minutes.
Davido, however, rejected that account in a post on his official X account shortly after the incident.
“Lies! It was a fight outside the palace that had nothing to do with us! The pple love excellency!” he wrote.
His comment was made as reports circulated that suspected hoodlums had opened fire around the palace following the governor’s visit.
The situation took a more serious turn after the Osun State Police Command confirmed that one person was killed in the violence.
The deceased was identified as 60-year-old Tajudeen Yusuf, a resident of the Oke-Ayepe area of Osogbo.
According to the police, Yusuf was shot at the Itaolokan area of Osogbo after the confrontation involving suspected hoodlums and members of Davido’s security team.
The police said officers received information about the shooting at about 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, after which Yusuf was taken to the University Teaching Hospital in Osogbo, where he was pronounced dead.
The police account also introduced a major twist to the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
On Thursday, August 20, the Osun State Police Command said preliminary investigation indicated that Davido, rather than Adeleke, was the target of the confrontation.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, a man identified as Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged,” allegedly attempted to gain access to Davido but was stopped by members of the singer’s security team.
Ojelabi described Taoreed as an ex-convict and suspected gang member, adding that he was allegedly associated with the Eiye confraternity.
“Immediately after the visit, one Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as ‘Small Rugged’, an ex-convict, a suspected notorious thug and a member of Eye Confraternity allegedly attempted to gain access to Davido but was resisted by members of his security team,” Ojelabi said.
The police said the confrontation subsequently escalated as other suspected gang members became involved.
According to the command, the suspected hoodlums allegedly blocked the entrance to the palace and obstructed the movement of the governor’s convoy before the situation deteriorated into violence.
The governor’s convoy eventually left the area safely, according to the police account.
The command said the suspected gang members later moved away from the immediate palace area, after which Yusuf was allegedly shot at Itaolokan.
Police subsequently launched a full-scale investigation into the incident and began efforts to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing.
The command condemned the killing and assured residents that efforts were underway to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The development has left two conflicting accounts at the centre of the incident.
While Davido insists that the confrontation was a separate fight outside the palace and had “nothing to do with us,” the police say their preliminary investigation indicates that an attempt to gain access to the singer was what triggered the confrontation.
The conflicting accounts have therefore made the police investigation crucial to determining exactly what happened, who fired the shots and whether Davido was deliberately targeted.
The incident also occurred against the backdrop of heightened political attention in Osun State following Adeleke’s victory in the Saturday, August 15 governorship election and his subsequent receipt of the Certificate of Return from INEC on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
For now, there is no indication from the police reports that Adeleke was injured in the incident, while Davido has also not reported sustaining any injury.
The confirmed casualty remains Yusuf, whose death has transformed what initially appeared to be a confrontation around a high-profile palace visit into a police investigation involving a fatal shooting.
As of August 20, the police had not announced the arrest of the fleeing suspects, while investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting continued.
