Davido Adeleke convoy reports have sparked confusion in Osogbo after gunfire broke out near the Ataoja palace. Davido says the incident was a separate fight and did not involve Governor Ademola Adeleke’s entourage.
OSOGBO, OSUN STATE — David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has denied reports that gunmen attacked the Ademola Adeleke convoy during the governor’s visit to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The singer said the gunfire came from a separate confrontation outside the palace and had nothing to do with the governor’s entourage.
Davido rejected the reports in a post on X after videos and accounts of gunfire around the palace circulated online. According to the singer, the incident involved a fight outside the palace rather than an organised attack on Governor Adeleke or his convoy. His comments came shortly after the governor visited the monarch following his victory in the August 15 Osun governorship election.
The singer wrote that reports describing the incident as an attack on the governor’s convoy were false. Davido, who is Adeleke’s nephew, was with the governor during the visit to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji. The incident therefore quickly attracted attention because of the presence of the governor and his nephew at the location.
According to the Osun State Police Command, however, preliminary findings presented a more serious account of what happened around the palace. Police said a confrontation occurred after a suspected member of the Eye Confraternity, identified as Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged”, allegedly attempted to gain access to Davido and was resisted by members of the singer’s security team.
The police said the confrontation escalated into gunfire involving the security team and suspected hoodlums. A 60-year-old man, identified as Tajudeen Yusuf, was killed in the incident, according to the police. The command said it had launched a full-scale investigation and vowed to arrest those responsible for the violence.
The police account differs in important respects from Davido’s initial description of the incident. While the singer said the fight had nothing to do with him or his uncle, police said their preliminary investigation indicated that the confrontation centred on an alleged attempt to gain access to Davido. This distinction means the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain subject to the ongoing police investigation.
Newstridez reviewed reports from the Osun police and multiple Nigerian news outlets and found that there was no dispute over the fact that gunfire occurred around the Ataoja palace. The disagreement centres mainly on whether the incident should be described as an attack on Adeleke’s convoy or as a separate clash involving individuals near the palace. The police investigation remains the key source for establishing what happened.
The incident occurred shortly after Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission following his victory in the August 15 governorship election. The governor subsequently visited the Ataoja palace with members of his entourage, including Davido, who had played a visible role in campaigning for his uncle during the election.
The shooting created panic in the Oja Oba area of Osogbo as gunshots rang out around the palace. Reports said security personnel responded to the situation, while the governor and those inside the palace remained unharmed. The death of Yusuf, however, has turned the incident into a matter requiring a full security investigation rather than simply another political dispute surrounding the election.
The Osogbo Development Action Group has also urged caution in describing the incident. The group said reports portraying the shooting as an attack on Adeleke’s convoy could damage the image of the Osun capital without verified evidence. It argued that available accounts pointed to a suspected cult clash around the palace and called on security agencies to establish the facts before definitive conclusions are drawn.
For residents of Osogbo, the incident comes at a sensitive time following a closely watched governorship election. Adeleke won re-election on August 15, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. The governor has since called for calm and support for victims of electoral violence, while urging residents to put the election behind them and focus on healing and development.
The development also shows how quickly reports can spread during politically sensitive moments. Davido’s status as a major Afrobeats star and his family relationship with the governor ensured that reports of an alleged attack attracted widespread attention online. But the conflicting accounts underline the need to separate verified police findings from eyewitness descriptions, social media posts and political interpretations.
The police have now taken responsibility for determining the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including identifying those involved and establishing who fired the fatal shot. The command said its investigation would cover the confrontation and the death of the 60-year-old victim, while suspects linked to the incident remain at large.
As at the time of filing this report, Davido had denied that the incident amounted to an attack on Governor Adeleke’s convoy, while the police preliminary account indicated that Davido himself may have been the intended target of the confrontation. The governor was not reported injured. The investigation will determine whether the incident was a targeted confrontation, a wider clash or another form of criminal violence.
The Davido Adeleke convoy controversy therefore remains unresolved despite the singer’s denial. What is confirmed is that gunfire erupted near the Ataoja palace, a 60-year-old man died and police have opened an investigation. Further clarification from the Osun State Police Command will be needed to establish exactly how the confrontation began and who bears responsibility for the fatal shooting.
