Condolences are in order for Nigerian Afrobeat superstar Davido (David Adeleke) and his wife, chef Chioma Rowland, as reports claim the couple has lost their three-year-old son Ifeanyi.
According to a Daily Mail report, various Nigerian news outlets have confirmed that the family lost the young boy to drowning in a pool located on their home property in the Banana Island area of Lagos. He was reported to have gone underwater for a prolonged period of time before being retrieved and rushed to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, he was announced dead on arrival.
Tragically, the incident is reported to have happened just days after the toddler’s third birthday.
No statement has yet come from the music star, his wife, or his camp. However, it is believed that neither Davido nor his wife was home at the time of the incident.
While there were some conflicting reports swirling on social media denying the news as a rumor, Lagos State Police Command spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the child’s death to Daily Mail.
“Domestic staff at Davido’s home have been taken to the station to give their own account of what happened,” Hundeyin said. “If after they all give their own account of what happened and after preliminary investigations, if anyone of them is found culpable, the person will now be placed under arrest.”
The singer, 29, has two older daughters, 5-year-old Hailey Veronica and 6-year-old Aurora, from previous relationships. The star and his family have received an outpouring of public support from fellow figures in Nigerian entertainment, including Ay Comedian, William Uchemba, and Paul Okoye among others.
Our condolences go out to Davido and Chioma during this time.