Controversial singer, Davido has no doubt carved a niche for himself in the music industry within the short period he came into the Nigerian music scene. Stardom is said to be the most difficult aspect of the industry that most of the artistes failed to handle well as they all loom from one controversy to the other and Davido's situation is not exceptional. In fact, Davido's character is allegedly worse to the extent that some people in the industry refer to him as a spoilt brat. The recent news we got about the rave of the moment whose album launch was said to be a flop is that he instructed his bodyguard to beat up a taxi driver.
We gathered from a reliable source that, Davido did not only beat the hell out of the driver but also seized his car key for several months before he released it when the police got involved in the case.
It was, however, said that, the taxi driver named Ajibola Femi was admitted at General Hospital for several weeks after he was mercilessly beaten by Davido’s bodyguard.
In order to establish the true picture of the story, we called the taxi driver and he explained what happened and the reason why they seized his car key, saying “It is true that I was beaten by Davido and his bodyguard and it happened on July 1st. I had a call from a girl that she needed my service, I don’t know her but you know that customers introduce us to their friends as their cabman. When I got to her place, I picked her with a friend and we went to Lekki Phase1 to pick another girl called Sekinat. From there, they all left to another hotel inside Lekki Phase1 to pick another girl making four girls.
After that, we all faced Victoria Island. When we got to Beni Apartment in Victoria Island off Adeola Hopewell, Susan asked me to wait without telling me their mission at the hotel, so I waited. Suddenly, Susan ran out from the hotel telling me to open the door, while I was trying to open the door, Davido also ran out from the hotel and started beating the girl but the girl insisted I should move the car. Before I knew it, Davido gave me a hot slap and with the help of his bodyguard they hit and kicked me severally and twisted my hand to collect my car key. All I was telling them was that I knew nothing about what was going on, that I’m only a taxi driver. They didn’t listen to me; instead they all entered their car and drove away with my car keys. All the effort of the hotel security personnel to curb the situation was futile. Immediately, I tried to report the case to the police but they said it was late, so I took cab back to our park and I slept inside a friend’s car before going to Bar Beach police station to report.
In my quest to get my car keys, I tried all I could till I got Davido’s number. I tried to call him that he should give me my car key, that I’m ready to bear the damages because I’m still making installment on the car since I took it on hired purchase. In fact, I sent him text messages but he didn’t reply. At the station, after I wrote my statement, they gave me one IPO called Sergeant Nurudeen with a lady and we both went to those ladies’ house. When we got there, the initial agreement was to invite those girls for questioning but when the police officers spoke with the girls’ aunty, the whole thing changed and the police officer was asking me whether they are the ones that took my car key. At the same spot, the policeman used one of those girls’ phone to call Davido which he picked but all he was saying was that ‘do you know who my father is’, telling the policeman why he is threatening him. The police told him they were not there to arrest him but to state his own side of the story but he insisted he won’t see them. The N100,000 I was supposed to give my dealer was inside the car but when I got to the car, I couldn’t find it again and someone has detached the car tape and other things. I reported to the IPO in charge because I was supposed to send N100,000 to my car dealer the same day that incident happened which I couldn’t do because of the scenario. After all effort to see Davido to get my car key proved abortive, I was allowed to see the DPO and I explained everything that transpired between me and Davido and he was surprised why the IPO in charge of the case could not arrest a small boy who seized someone’s car key for weeks. My mind was at rest, I heard the response of the DPO but someone called me on the 12th of July, she called herself Sharon Adeleke, that I should come to 1004 Estate, Victoria Island to collect my car key and I told her that I can’t come because of the bodyguard I saw that day. So, I told her to take the key to the police station that the case is already with the police. Since then, I’ve not heard anything from them until recently that the car dealer intervened and they called me to come and get my car key. I was surprised because I reported what lost inside the car and how they dismantled my car. You can’t just give me the key and expect me to collect it from you. In fact, they can’t bring the boy to the station to write his own statement. I left the IPO’s office without collecting the key. ” the taxi driver concluded.
We spoke with the taxi driver boss, Mr. Azeez Oladimeji Ashiru who gave the car to the driver if truly he is aware of the situation; he said “Yes, I’m aware because I called him on the day he promised to pay me the initial payment. And he promised to pay later in the day that he had issue with one artiste who I’m less concerned about, my own is to get my money. I’m not after what happened between them and the customer. I waited for several days without any response. He now narrated the whole story to me. When I heard that, I went to the police station to see what we could do to settle things without causing any harm to both parties involved. After I waited for weeks and I could not get the money and the car back, I went to see the IPO Sergeant Nurudeen Umaru with a female inspector. We both went to the hotel to inspect the car. After the inspection, we decided to call the girl that called herself Sharon Adeleke and the lady said that she would send a driver to bring the car key and N20,000. The police officer asked her if the N20,000 is for him or the driver because he’s not too sure of their intention and he does not want to be trapped because of the people involved. The policeman accepted the suggestion and they fixed the following day. So, the driver that was supposed to bring the car key with N20,000 gave the IPO excuses. The second day, I think the IPO was disturbing him and the driver got provoked and asked what is so special about the key and the police officer explained to him. He categorically told the policeman that he won’t come, the agreement was that if they could not get Davido, they will detain Sharon’s driver and all of them will show up but now that the driver has refused to show up, the IPO suggested that we should arrest the boy on the day of his album launch at Eko Hotel and Suites. I suggested that we should inform the DPO before taking such action, going by the caliber of people involved. So, I went to the DPO to explain what happened and he told me that I was not supposed to be briefing him; that the IPO is the one in a better position to do that. After all, he has given order to get Davido arrested. So, the DPO sent for the IPO and challenge him on why he could not arrest the boy; asking if the boy is so big that he could not be arrested. The boy told them firmly that he cannot come to the station, that mere calling him to the station is a threat to his life and he asked if they know his father since he always asks them if they know who his father is. I told the DPO who his father is, Deji Adeleke. He asked if it’s the same Sherubawon’s brother and I said yes. Immediately, he said ‘is it that same David, that he knows him as a stubborn boy, he used to be very tough; in fact, he does not have regard for his father, that it was both him and the DPO of Maroko police station that intervened in the crisis between Davido and his father when Davido said he will stop schooling and his father insisted on education before going into music. It was as a result of their intervention that his father built a studio worth N40million in his residence”, the DPO concluded. I got that information for the first time from the DPO. At once, he scrolled his phone and called the man twice before the man now called back. Though, I didn’t hear what the man was telling the DPO. To my surprise, the DPO trivialized the issue at that point, “that it was just a small issue between Davido and a friend but he’s on top of it and he has sorted it out. Davido mistakenly took his car key so that’s what we are waiting for sir. Just to get the key but it is a minor issue and there is nothing to worry about” DPO said. I wasn’t happy with what the DPO said because I didn’t hear the other man. And how can you trivialize the issue when you have the opportunity to speak with his father. Instead of him to tell the man what the boy had done and how he ordered his bodyguard to beat a taxi driver and the issue of missing money, he did not mention all these things. This guy is using the car as cab and that’s what he’s using to feed his family and he has stopped working for over a month. When we got to the station with the driver, you won’t believe what the DPO told us, he asked whether the driver has ever seen N100,000 in his life.”
Meanwhile, we contacted Valerie, Davido’s publicist to respond to the issue. He said: “The recording artiste, Davido has no knowledge of any incident resulting in the assault of a taxi driver or the illegal seizure of his car key. Davido does not condone violence of any sort and will not be commenting further on this untrue allegation".
However, Mr. Ashiru has contacted his lawyer to sue both Davido and his father for assault and illegal seizure of car key.
