Davido faces U.S. court summons over alleged song theft and unpaid $45,000 settlement

Davido accused of song theft

Nigerian superstar Davido has found himself at the center of a legal storm in the United States after four Nigerian artists accused him of stealing their original work. 

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has ordered the singer, whose real name is David Adeleke, to respond to the allegations within 21 days.

The lawsuit was filed by Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru, who claim that Davido used material from their 2022 song Work in his 2024 release Strawberry on Ice. 

According to legal documents, the plaintiffs initially shared a demo of Work with Davido in early 2022, hoping for a potential collaboration. 

However, they allege that the demo was instead passed on to Sierra Leonean artist Emmerson, who is featured on Strawberry on Ice, and the song was allegedly sampled without their consent.

Also named in the lawsuit are Emmerson Amidu Bockarie (professionally known as Emmerson), Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II, and Wynn Records — all of whom are allegedly involved in the distribution or publishing of the disputed track.

The legal complaint details a failed attempt to resolve the matter privately. In March 2025, Davido reportedly agreed to pay $45,000 to the original creators, along with 40% of the composition royalties and 20% of the sound recording rights. 

Despite this agreement, the plaintiffs claim Davido missed the payment deadline, leading to the current legal action.

As of now, Davido has not issued any public response to the summons or the allegations.