Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, on Wednesday, appeared on stage for the FIFA World Cup countdown concert in a customized outfit honoring the pupils and teachers recently abducted in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Turning his highly anticipated pre-tournament performance into an advocacy showcase, Davido spotlighted the security crisis in Nigeria, demanding immediate government action for the victims who remain in captivity.
In a viral backstage video clip, Davido wore a black leather jacket adorned with green circular buttons.
The customized buttons bore the individual names of the students and teachers recently kidnapped by armed bandits. To distinguish the tragic reality, the names of those still held captive were written in white lettering on the green buttons, while the names of the victims who had lost their lives during the ordeal were written in red.
The incident, which occurred in May when armed men attacked schools in the Ahoro-Esinele community, led to the death of a school official and a motorcyclist during the raid, while a teacher later died in captivity,
The singer also wore a white t-shirt with “NIGERIA,” boldly written on it, while “BRING THEM HOME,” was boldly printed on the back of the black leather jacket.
In an address moments before he climbed the stage for his performance, Davido expressed grief over the nature of rescue operations and urged the federal and state governments to hasten their intervention.
Before going on stage to perform for the energetic crowd, Davido spoke to an interviewer backstage about the sad situation at home.
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“Bring them home in peace, love everywhere. May God be with the families of the abducted and the ones that have been killed.
“It’s just a very, very sad situation. Still haven’t been rescued. And yeah, praying to God every day. I’m also praying to God that the government hastens and rescue the victims.
“Pray for peace in Nigeria. You know, my country is going through a lot, man. Going through a lot. But yeah, we represent everywhere we go, man,” Davido said.
The concert is part of FIFA’s global countdown activities ahead of the 2026 World Cup and featured performances from international artists across venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Davido shared the stage with acts including American DJ Diplo’s Major Lazer.
The singer has previously spoken about the incident and has joined calls for urgent action following the attack.
The incident has continued to draw public concern amid ongoing insecurity in parts of the country.
Social media reactions have since trailed Davido’s appearance, with users praising him for using a global platform to highlight the situation.
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