By Matthew Don
The police in Lagos are holding the Nigerian Hip-hop singer, David Adeleke (aka Davido), as conflicting information trail the mysterious death of a friend that was on a night out with Davido.
Davido was being questioned at the Lion Building Police Station in Lagos for questioning over Tagbo Umeike’s death.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal told reporters on Wednesday at a briefing in Ikeja that the police were investigating a case of sudden and unnatural death which happened on September 3, 2017.
He said: “At the General Hospital, on Lagos Island, the Chief Security Officer of the hospital, one Oparah Moshood, alerted the Divisional Police Officer at Lion Building Police Division that an unidentified male was brought in dead in an Ash colour Toyota Hilux with registration number LXB 738 EX. The victim was brought in by two unidentified male. On searching the body of the deceased, the Police found an international passport with the name Tagbo Umeike.
“You can recall that one Caroline Danjuma, an actress and the victim’s fiancé, published on her Instagram page that her fiancé died in the company of friends including one David Adeleke aka Davido. To be objective and in my usual style of fact finding, I called for a pre-investigative meeting in my conference room. In that meeting were all parties including the family, friends of the deceased, family and friends of Davido and of course that of Danjuma and the DPO at Lion Building and the investigating police officer were also present.
“The meeting confirmed the following that Tagbo Umeike on the date in question met and had drinks with friends including Davido at Sushi Bar. The CCTV camera footage of the bar was called for and it also showed that the victim had 40 takes of Tequila. During that meeting, Davido said he left the bar for DNA night club. He stated that he was only informed of the victims’ death at DNA bar. However investigation conducted into the case has clearly revealed that one Tunde Yusufu, a driver and the driver of Davido’s white Toyota Hilux vehicle accompanied by one Agbaje Olaoye and one Idris Busare both Davido’s friends took the deceased to Lagos Island Hospital and abandoned him in the car in front of the hospital on the instruction of Davido. The CCTV footage at General Hospital picked up the white Hilux vehicle and captured the entire incident. The vehicle was recovered at a resident at No. 7 Awosika Street, Lekki Phase One.”
Edgal continued: “This new revelation completely debunked Davido’s claim that he did not know how the deceased got to General Hospital, Lagos. For this reason, I have instructed the DPO at Lion Building and the investigating officers that they should invite Davido and invite him for questioning. It is our interest to know why the victim was taken to General Hospital and dumped, and why those who took him there fled the location without as much as notifying the hospital authority or reporting to the police and that calls for questioning. As I am talking to you, Davido has been re-invited for questioning. He is at the Lion Building Police Station. The autopsy report on the deceased revealed that he died of Asphyxia which in lay man’s term is suffocation At the end of this round of investigation, I will again let Lagosians know of our findings.”