Afrobeats sensation David Adeleke, known as Davido, said he is taking legal action against a privately-owned Kenyan media organisation over an April Fool’s Day story that was “extremely irresponsible”.
K24 Digital, owned by Mediamax Network Limited, claimed on April 1 that he was arrested at Nairobi’s main airport, the JKIA, on Sunday after a search of his private jet.
The publication said the Afrobeats star and his crew were arrested by the anti-narcotics police unit at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
K24 Digital later indicated in a photo caption that the story was fictitious, while the Kenyan police separately dismissed the story as fake news.
The Nigerian megastar, who had just performed to packed audiences at the Timeless Concert in Kampala and Raha Fest in Nairobi, said it led to him receiving a barrage of calls.
He also said he found “the allegations of such international crimes extremely irresponsible, regardless of the light of ‘April Fools”.
“I want to assure my fans that these reports are entirely untrue. I successfully completed my scheduled shows in Uganda and Kenya and have since returned home to Nigeria.”
“I find the fabrication of allegations of such international crimes extremely irresponsible, regardless of the light of ‘April Fools’, and my lawyer is seeking legal recourse against the media parties responsible for generating this misinformation,” Davido said.
K24 TV has not responded to Davido’s move to initiate legal action.
Many Kenyans felt the prank was inappropriate, but some have been commenting on social media that they hope the debacle can be resolved amicably.
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