Nigerian international star David Adeleke aka Davido was arrested by police shortly after his performance at the Raha Fest in Nairobi on the night of Sunday, March 31, 2024.
Davido was apprehended by the Anti-Narcotics Police Unit following a search on his private jet at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
“Davido and seven other people who were travelling with him have been detained for further interrogation and arraignment,” Maju Nyawawa, the head of the Anti-Narcotics Police Unit at JKIA, told K24 Digital.
The musician and his crew were detained at the JKIA Police Station before being transferred to the Embakasi Police Station in unmarked Subarus.
“Given that one of the suspects arrested is an international musician, we had to quietly transport them out of JKIA owing to the great sensitivity of the matter at hand. We had to avoid creating a scene at Kenya’s main airport that could have disrupted normal operations here,” Nyawawa said.
Adding that; “We respected the suspects’ rights at all times. They will have counsel present at all stages of the criminal proceedings, including during interrogation and during pretrial proceedings.”
Another police source told K24 Digital that the Anti-Narcotics Police Unit acted on information they received from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).
It is reported that NACADA was informed of substance abuse at the event where Davido performed on Sunday evening.
Davido arrived in Kenya over the past weekend to headline the inaugural Raha Fest at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi.
The two-day event which was held on Saturday and Sunday had a star-studded lineup of local musicians such as Otile Brown, Bensoul, H-art the Band, Nadia Mukami, Boutross, Nviiri the Storyteller, Sanaipei Tande among others.
Davido was the main actor at the Raha Fest.
During the event, a handful of celebrities were openly seen using illicit substances such as marijuana and shisha which have all been banned.
Several complaints were lodged after the brazen substance abuse by celebs and some revellers at the event.
NACADA sprung into action following the complaints raised by concerned citizens.
Officials from NACADA made some arrests in the wee morning hours of Monday, April 1, 2024.
