Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has retracted his earlier criticism of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Abba, following the violent clashes that rocked the state over the control of local government councils on Monday.
The crisis erupted when sacked local government chairmen under the All Progressives Congress (APC) attempted to reclaim their offices despite a court ruling that had removed them. The ensuing tension led to violent confrontations, resulting in the death of four persons.
Recall that Davido earlier reacted by taking to his social media handles to express anger, blaming the police for failing to maintain order. However, in a statement released on Monday night, the award-winning singer admitted that emotions had beclouded his judgement of the situation.
“Further review of political development in Osun State revealed more facts which include several genuine efforts of the state security agencies including the state Commissioner of Police. The bloodshed of today infuriated me so much that I heaped all the blame on the Commissioner of Police,” he stated.
Davido acknowledged that the police chief, along with other security personnel, had been working tirelessly to prevent further chaos. He noted that the situation was more complex than he initially thought and regretted his hasty reaction.
“I now see that the issue is more than that of the Commissioner of Police or other security chiefs. The needless killings of today angered me so deeply that I thought such should have been nipped in the bud. Yet, I can see that the security agencies led by the Commissioner of Police put in their best and deserve commendation,” he added.
Having been vocal about political issues in his native Osun State, the singer revealed that grief had overtaken him after reports of deaths and injuries surfaced. He admitted failing to recognise the sleepless nights and efforts put in by the police commissioner and his team.
“In memory of the innocent souls lost, human emotions overwhelmed me and many of my friends around. We did not know the Commissioner of Police had been having sleepless nights alongside other commanders. At this point, the contributions of the police commissioner were not fully appreciated by me. This is a grave oversight, and I want to declare that his support for the rule of law and protection of peace in Osun State is hereby acknowledged and appreciated,” he stated.
Davido extended his condolences to the families of the victims and urged security agencies to strengthen their peacekeeping efforts. He stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law to prevent further unrest.
“In memory of the dead and the injured, I urge the security agencies, including the Commissioner of Police, to redouble their efforts to sustain peace. We must allow the rule of law to prevail,” he appealed.
