The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a 60-year-old man, Tajudeen Yusuf, in Osogbo following a confrontation involving suspected hoodlums and the security team of music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.
Yusuf, a resident of the Oke-Ayepe area of Osogbo, was shot in the Ita-Olokan area at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, according to the police.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the incident occurred shortly after Governor Ademola Adeleke, accompanied by Davido, visited the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun.
The visit followed the governor’s appearance at the Independent National Electoral Commission office to receive his certificate of return after the recent Osun governorship election.
According to the police, trouble began after the palace visit when a man identified as Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged,” allegedly attempted to gain access to Davido but was resisted by members of the singer’s security team.
Ojelabi described Taoreed as an ex-convict, suspected notorious thug and member of the Eiye Confraternity.
The confrontation allegedly attracted other suspected gang members, who temporarily blocked the palace entrance and obstructed the movement of the governor’s convoy.
The convoy eventually left the area safely, after which the suspected gang members reportedly departed.
The police said the suspects subsequently shot Yusuf in the Ita-Olokan area.
“Shortly afterwards, the suspected gang members reportedly departed the vicinity and, however, on their way, they allegedly shot Tajudeen Yusuf at Ita-Olokan area of Osogbo,” the police statement said.
A police patrol team was immediately mobilised to the scene, where Yusuf was found lying in a pool of blood.
He was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, but was pronounced dead by doctors on duty.
The police said they had commenced a full-scale investigation and intensified efforts to identify and arrest the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the 2026 Osun governorship election, CP Samuel Etaifo, condemned the killing and assured residents that the command would deploy all available resources to bring those responsible to justice.
The incident has generated differing accounts concerning the confrontation at the palace. While the police said the altercation began when a suspected cult member attempted to reach Davido, the singer said in a post on X that the fight occurred outside the palace and had nothing to do with him.
The police have nevertheless linked the subsequent fatal shooting of Yusuf to the suspected gang members who allegedly left the palace area after the confrontation.
The command appealed to anyone with information that could assist the investigation to report to the nearest police station or contact the police through its official channels.
