Who’s telling the truth :The Police or Davido?
UROWAYINO WARAMI
14 OCT 2017

By Rotimi Agbana

One night too sad

The past few days have been rather tumultuous and unsettling for Nigerian hip hop singer, David Adeleke popularly known as Davido with three of his friends being turned up dead by the police after a night of a birthday drinking binge of one of them, identified as Tagbo Umeike.

The night of October 3, 2017 was Tagbo’s birthday, which his friends, including late DJ Olu, and Chime Amechina and the hip hop star, Davido got together at the Shisha Lounge, Lekki. And it was supposed to be a night to remember but instead has turned out to be a nightmare never to be forgotten, as the trio of Tagbo Umeike, DJ Olu and Chime Amechina have ceased to be.

The first death to attract public attention was that of Tagbo. The news of his death was broken by his actress girlfriend, Caroline Danjuma who reportedly said that Davido had some explanations to make about his death but noting that she was not accusing him of complicity. “I have not said that Davido was responsible for his death but since Tagbo was with him before he died Davido must have something to say about it,” she said.

While the social media was feasting on the news of Tagbo’s death with series of claims and counter claims, other two friends of Davido who were at the birthday binge were turned up dead by the police.

DJ Olu, born Olugbenga Abiodun, son of an oil magnate, Dapo Abiodun and Chime Amechina were also found dead.

According to an alleged eyewitness, Davido and his friends, started a drinking competition, where the singer Davido placed a price of N200, 000 and Iphone 8 for the winner. Tagbo was said to have won the competition, consuming heavy shots of Tequila but failed to live to tell of his conquest. Both DJ Olu and Chime were not so lucky either as they were both also deceased after that one night bender.

Talks and allegations of Davido’s complicity in their deaths began to spread like wildfire. But that did not deter Davido from embarking on his planned “30 Billion African Tour’. In fact, he was in South Africa on his tour when the news of DJ Olu and Chime Amechina’s deaths reached him. And he wasted no time in dedicating the AFRIMMA awards; Best Artiste of the Year award and Song of the Year awards to his late friends.

On Tuesday, he was billed to perform at the Felabration, but according to him, he was in grief and therefore, cancelled his participation as a mark of respect to his late friends and families.

“ To all my fans expecting me at Felabration tomorrow (Tuesday), I’m sorry I would not be performing anymore. I promise to make it up. I love you guys. Everyone stay prayed up. I love each and every one of you. RIP Chime, every time we met you were always happy.”

For Davido, life goes on

The old cliché that the world stops for nobody couldn’t have rung truer to anyone’s situation right now than that of Davido’s. He was already billed for his “30 Billion African Tour’ and he just had to be on the plane and mourn his friends any other way he could.

In spite of all his troubles, the Omo Baba Olowo, as he is fondly called continues his African tour and performed on Monday in South Africa admirably.

His manager, Asa Asika praises the singer for his courage in the face of his recent loss. Asika says, “ Despite all the bad news these past few days, this man here (Davido) he’s still a straight champ. He still got on stage in South Africa and gave an amazing performance just the way we know Olu would have wanted him to. It’s hard to understand but God knows best. DJ Olu lives forever, rest well brother.”

More troubles at home

While Davido was being strong and continuing his tour in South Africa more trouble was brewing for him at home. Contrary to general perception and a report from a doctored autopsy report that Tagbo died of drunkenness another autopsy claimed that the late associate of the singer died from suffocation. And while rumours were running rife with false stories have an open season on social media, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police waded in to clear the air.

The CP’s claim that Davido lied on Tagbo’s death

It is due to this development that the commissioner of Police Lagos State, Imohinmi Edgal addressed pressmen during the week regarding police investigation on the matter.

The Police CP disclosed that in order to be objective, he called for a pre-investigation meeting in his conference room, involving Davido, Tagbo’s family and Tagbo’s fiancee.

According to the CP, the meeting confirmed that the deceased Tagbo Umeike on the date in question met and had drinks with friends at Shisha Bar amongst whom was Davido. The bartender who was also present and served them drinks confirmed that the deceased had as much as forty shots of Tequila and exhibited clear signs of drunkenness. The CCTV footage which he called for from the bar also showed that the deceased was quarrelsome and even violent. In that same meeting, Davido confirmed that he left Shisha Bar without the deceased to a nightclub known as DNA in Victoria Island. The singer stated that he was only informed by some mutual friends about Tagbo’s death at DNA club.

However, investigations revealed that the deceased was taken to the General hospital and abandoned there on the instructions of Davido. CP. Edgal disclosed that it was based on these recent findings that the pop singer was re-invited by the Police for questioning. However, after all said and done, the interim autopsy reports revealed that Tagbo Umeike died of Asphyxia which in simple terms means ‘Suffocation’.

Davido’s statement through his lawyer debunked CP’s claims

Meanwhile, the singer has debunked the CP’s claims. In a statement he released through his lawyers, the ‘Aye’ crooner stated that his late friend, Tagbo Umeike, never entered his car, in complete variance to what the Police claimed at the press conference on Wednesday. He also released CCTV footages of the night’s events. The statement by Davido’s lawyer, Norrison Quakers (SAN), entitled The Unfortunate Death of Tagbo Umeike exonerates the Omo Baba Olowo of any complicity in Tago’s death.

His conquest of the music world

However, despite the return turn of events in his life, Davido is a gifted child with many things working against him. While many will argue that money remains a big factor in what launched him into stardom, the talented son of billionaire business mogul, Chief Adedeji Adeleke took the industry by storm when he released his debut single Back When and Dami Duro in 2011.

Whilst the mood was that he might be a one-single hit-maker and a smoke that would soon disappear, Davido followed up with yet other killer singles in Gobe, and then Skelewu . It was then the industry began to take him seriously as something of value. Indeed all that glitters becomes gold, at least for the HKN boss, who began his career like an alpha male. With the hits, Aye and If, he became a force, felt not only in Nigeria but also all over the world.

Davido never sought anybody’s back to ride to fame or looked long and desperate for a label boss to launch him. When there’s money as inexhaustible as the one at Davido’s disposal, it is piecemeal to execute a campaign of any sort. With his band of cronies, like Sina Rambo, and others, he began his musical campaign under his own record label HKN, recording hits after hits and consuming awards after awards in his wake.

His many controversies

As a result of the recent mysterious developments surrounding the American-born Nigerian pop star, he is currently topping the chart as the most controversial artiste in the country. Davido, who made his way into the Nigerian music industry in 2011 with his debut single ‘Back When’, began attracting huge media attention as a result of controversies that usually greet celebrities.

Davido versus Nigerian Immigration

In May 2014, Davido attacked the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for pestering him for money and subsequently causing him to miss his flight to London. This was however denied by the NIS, claiming they didn’t issue him an exit permit because he didn’t have the proper travel documents with him at the time.

Dele Momodus versus Davido

The drama continued with Sophia Momodu, his first baby mama. Sophia and her family reportedly blew open the feud when they filed a petition against the pop star and his family for child trafficking. In a petition sent to the Director General of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Person, Davido and his family were accused of preventing Sophia, Dele Momodu’s cousin, from seeing Imade, their daughter born out of wedlock, and conspiracy to leave Nigeria with the baby. Dele Momodu is a renown journalist and the publisher of the Ovation Magazine. After a prolonged cold war, Davido denied the allegations and also apologized to Dele Momodu, and Sophia’s uncle. Both parents currently have joint custody of the daughter.

Babymama number two

It was more trouble for him upon welcoming his second daughter, Hailey Veronica Adeleke, from his Atlanta-based girlfriend, Amanda Mandy in March 2017. Sometime in May 2017 when Amanda heard that Davido met a new girl and she allegedly followed him back to his hotel room, she took a swipe at him with a line from one of Nicki Minaj’s songs. “Got a good girl, but hoes are his choice”. Apparently “Hoes” is plural and means more than one person. Sophia also caught the mockery bug and took hilarious swipes at him too.

Davido and Call Girl

The ‘IF’ crooner was enveloped in another controversy when he was pictured in bed with an unidentified lady. It was reported that the girl took the pictures after having a wild and raunchy time with the star and decided to leak the photos after their escapades.

Davido and the Police

A video which circulated on social media showed two policemen allegedly shooting into the air on the street in a moving vehicle in Lagos. It was later revealed that the owner of the car was Davido and the officers involved were attached to him. This was revealed after Davido posted the video of his police escorts shooting in the air, thereby causing commotion on the streets of Lagos. The Head Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), ACP Abayomi Shogunle had to release a statement and the police officers involved were eventually arrested.

Davido and taxi driver

Davido was alleged to have beaten up a taxi driver when the latter had gone to drop off Davido’s ‘girlfriend’ at a hotel. The supposed girl friend had allegedly met a friend of hers in the hotel room with Davido and all hell was let loose. As the driver attempted to drive off, Davido dealt him some slaps and slammed his head against the steering wheel. Davido, in the company of four hefty bouncers was said to have really dealt with the man.

Davido and Wizkid supremacy tussle

The unending battle for supremacy between Davido and Wizkid is yet another drama that has been a recurring decimal on social media. The pop rivals are yet to gain a common ground on who is a better entertainer, judging by awards, to who is more talented, richer, more famous, influential and more popular or recognized locally and internationally? The sudden passing on of three of his friends in one week has saddened him and he is mourning them in his own way. But life continues as his tour has continued. He was booked to perform in these tours of Africa and he is bound by contractual obligations to play on even in mourning.

Vanguardngr