By Ikechukwu Somemore Nnochiri
A United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan has summoned Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.
The court gave him 21 days to appear before it to answer to allegation of intellectual property theft.
The summons followed a suit that was filed by a group of four Nigerian artistes; Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell and David Ovhioghena Umaru, who alleged that Davido stole a song they did in 2022 titled ‘Work’, and used same to create his own soundtrack titled ‘Strawberry on Ice’ in 2024.
Davido was sued alongside Emmerson Amidu Bockarie, professionally known as Emmerson, who featured on the song, as well as Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II and Wynn Records, the music agency that distributed the song.
The plaintiffs approached the court after Davido allegedly failed to comply with his agreement to pay a lump sum of $45,000 in settlement on March 14, 2025.
Davido had also allegedly agreed to give the plaintiffs 40 per cent of royalties for the underlying composition of “Strawberry on Ice” and 20 per cent royalties for sound recording of the song.
He was said to have failed to fulfill the terms of the agreement despite promising to pay before a March 24 deadline agreed upon by all parties.
