Davido wore a custom jacket bearing the names of 46 abducted Oyo schoolchildren and teachers at the FIFA World Cup Countdown Concert in Los Angeles.
On June 10, 2026, the Nigerian Afrobeats star stepped onto the stage at Crypto.com Arena wearing a black customized jacket covered with tags bearing the names of the kidnapped 39 schoolchildren and 7 teachers. The back of the jacket carried the words “Bring Them Home,” while underneath he wore a white shirt boldly printed with “Nigeria.”
Davido Addresses Crowd Before FIFA World Cup Countdown Performance
Before his musical performance, Davido paid a brief tribute to the tragedy for the international audience. He explained that the names on his jacket represented the captives, noting that names printed in red signified victims who had tragically lost their lives while in captivity. “May God be with the families of the abducted and the ones who have been killed,” Davido said. “They still haven’t been rescued; we’re praying to God every day. We’re also praying to God that the government hastens… My country is going through a lot.” Davido later confirmed the gesture by resharing a post on X, formerly Twitter, which highlighted the outfit and described it as a reminder that the victims should not be forgotten. Photos and videos of the performance quickly circulated online, prompting praise from many Nigerians who commended the singer for drawing international attention to the abduction crisis.
The Background Story
On May 15, armed men stormed three schools in Oyo State, abducting dozens of pupils, students, and school staff. According to a report by Vanguard, the victims include seven teachers and 39 pupils abducted from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School. A two-year-old toddler, Christianah Akanbi, of Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, is among the 46 persons kidnapped by terrorists. 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. President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack as “barbaric” while promising that the federal government was working with Oyo State to rescue all the victims. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, condemned the attack as “callous and reprehensible,” assuring that the armed forces were deploying all necessary resources to secure the safe return of the abducted victims.
Davido Headlines FIFA World Cup Countdown Concert Alongside Major Lazer
Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke, headlined FIFA’s official World Cup Countdown Concert on June 10 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Davido shared the stage with Major Lazer, the globally recognized electronic music group led by American DJ Diplo. FIFA stated on its official Instagram page: “On June 10, the FIFA Countdown Concert in collaboration with the Grammys comes to Crypto.com Arena, featuring performances by Diplo’s Major Lazer, Davido, and more special guests.” The performance follows the announcement that Davido, alongside fellow Nigerian artists Burna Boy, Rema, and Ayra Starr, is featured on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup soundtrack album. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to North America, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico sharing hosting duties across 48 competing teams.
Davido’s Custom Jacket Draws International Attention to Nigeria’s Security Crisis
Until recently, mass school abductions felt like a northern problem. Armed groups up there had turned it into a playbook, hitting rural schools, exploiting slow emergency response, and slipping away across porous borders. The South West seemed untouchable. Then Oyo happened. That coordinated attack on schools did not just shock people. It shattered the idea that any part of Nigeria was safe. The outrage was immediate, and the conversation went viral.
