In an impassioned statement that has resonated across social media platforms, internationally acclaimed Afrobeats artist Davido has broken his silence on the recent surge of violent attacks plaguing Nigeria, adding his influential voice to growing public outcry over deteriorating security conditions in Africa’s most populous nation.
The 32-year-old singer, whose real name is David Adeleke, took to his social media accounts Wednesday to express what he described as profound grief over two separate but equally devastating incidents: the brazen abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and a deadly assault on worshippers at a church in Kwara State.
The incidents Davido referenced have sent shockwaves through Nigerian communities already grappling with persistent insecurity. On Tuesday, armed gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, located in the Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, kidnapping 25 female students in a raid that tragically claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku.
The attack evokes painful memories of previous mass abductions that have haunted Nigeria’s educational institutions, particularly in the country’s volatile northern regions where insurgent and bandit activity has intensified in recent years.
In a separate but concurrent tragedy, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed that suspected bandits killed at least two people and injured another during coordinated attacks in Eruku, a boundary town in the Ekiti Local Government Area. Among the targets was a parish of the Christ Apostolic Church, which was invaded while services were in progress. A disturbing livestream video capturing moments of the assault has since circulated widely on social media, amplifying public horror and outrage.
In his statement, Davido expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, emphasizing the human toll of Nigeria’s security crisis.
“My heart goes out to the young girls kidnapped in Kebbi State and to their families,” the Grammy-nominated artist wrote. “No family deserves this pain.”
The entertainer, who commands a massive following across Africa and the global diaspora, used his platform to issue a broader call for national unity in confronting what many Nigerians view as an escalating existential threat.
“As Nigerians, we must stand together in unity and continue working towards a country where every child can grow up in safety and hope,” Davido declared, his words reflecting widespread frustration with security failures that have increasingly targeted vulnerable populations, including schoolchildren and worshippers.
Beyond expressions of sympathy, Davido urged concrete action from both security agencies and ordinary citizens. He called on community members with credible information to support rescue efforts for the abducted girls.
“Everything must be done to bring the Kebbi girls home safely. I urge anyone with credible information to come forward in whatever safe and responsible way they can, so it can support ongoing efforts to rescue them,” he appealed.
The singer’s statement also carried a spiritual dimension, concluding with prayers for the safe return of the students and comfort for bereaved families in Kwara State. “May God watch over the girls until they return. May He comfort the grieving families in Kwara, bring peace to our nation, and put every sponsor of violence and disorder to shame,” Davido wrote.
Davido’s intervention represents a significant moment in Nigeria’s ongoing conversation about insecurity, demonstrating how the country’s cultural icons are increasingly leveraging their platforms to address political and social issues. As one of Africa’s most successful musical exports, his words carry weight far beyond the entertainment sphere, potentially galvanizing public pressure on authorities to intensify response efforts.
The twin attacks underscore the multifaceted nature of Nigeria’s security challenges, from banditry and kidnapping-for-ransom operations to attacks on religious institutions—all of which have contributed to a climate of fear that threatens the daily lives of ordinary citizens.
As rescue operations continue in Kebbi and communities in Kwara mourn their dead, Davido’s message serves as both a rallying cry and a sobering reminder that, in his words, “these acts of violence must never become our norm.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Nigerian superstar Davido has publicly condemned two devastating attacks that killed at least three people this week—the kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls and murder of their vice principal in Kebbi State, and a deadly assault on a church in Kwara State during service.
The artist’s statement reflects growing frustration over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity crisis, as he called for national unity and urged anyone with information to assist rescue efforts.
His intervention underscores how Nigeria’s security failures—from school abductions to attacks on places of worship—have reached a critical point where even the country’s most prominent cultural figures feel compelled to speak out, demanding that such violence “must never become our norm.”
