Nigerian music superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has again found himself at the centre of controversy, this time facing a serious legal battle in the United States. According to reports from the U.S District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, Davido has been summoned to appear before the court within 21 days over allegations of intellectual property theft and an outstanding financial settlement of $45,000.

This latest drama rocking the multi-award-winning artiste stems from a lawsuit filed by a group of Nigerian musicians, Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru. These four artistes have accused Davido of unlawfully stealing their 2022 song titled ‘Work’ and repurposing it into his 2024 hit soundtrack ‘Strawberry on Ice’, without their consent or due credit.

According to court documents sighted by Peoples Gazette, the plaintiffs recounted that the entire saga began in January 2022 when, in good faith, they handed over the demo version of ‘Work’ to Davido. Their hope was for a potential collaboration that would catapult them into the mainstream music industry, leveraging Davido’s global influence.

However, their hopes were soon dashed. The artistes claimed that rather than honouring the spirit of collaboration, Davido allegedly took the song and handed it over to Emmerson Amidu Bockarie, a Sierra Leonean musician professionally known as Emmerson. Emmerson, who featured on Davido’s ‘Strawberry on Ice’, is alleged to have sampled the instrumental and vocal elements of ‘Work’, transforming them into Davido’s 2024 release.

This move, according to the plaintiffs, was done without their approval or any formal licensing agreement — an act they have described as clear intellectual property theft.

Interestingly, the plaintiffs noted that their first line of action was not to go to court. They revealed that they had made several attempts to reach Davido directly, seeking an amicable settlement of the matter without involving legal authorities. However, it reportedly took them months before they could establish contact with the music icon.

When they finally succeeded, Davido is said to have agreed to settle the dispute by paying them $45,000 and granting them 40% of royalties from the composition rights of ‘Strawberry on Ice’. An agreement to this effect was reportedly reached on March 14, 2025. But things soon took another sour turn.

Despite the agreement reached, the plaintiffs claim that Davido failed to fulfill his part of the deal. He allegedly defaulted on the $45,000 payment, and this development left the aggrieved artistes with no option but to seek redress in a U.S court.

Thus, in addition to the theft allegation, Davido now faces a separate charge of failing to honour a financial settlement duly agreed upon. Also named in the lawsuit are Emmerson, Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II, and Wynn Records, the music publishing agency responsible for distributing ‘Strawberry on Ice’.

The summons issued by the U.S court is quite significant. It gives Davido precisely 21 days to appear in court to answer to the charges leveled against him. Failure to comply could result in the court issuing a default judgment against him, a ruling that could have financial and reputational consequences both in the U.S and globally.

Industry watchers believe that this development could affect Davido’s future dealings in the U.S music market, especially considering the seriousness with which American courts treat issues of intellectual property theft.

Since news of the lawsuit broke, reactions have continued to pour in from fans, critics, and industry stakeholders. While some fans have expressed disappointment in Davido, others believe the situation may have been a case of poor communication and management oversight, rather than outright theft.

Several artistes have also used the opportunity to call for greater respect for intellectual property rights in Nigeria’s music industry. According to music analyst Samuel Eze, “This case highlights a major problem in our industry where up-and-coming artistes get exploited by bigger names. It’s time to start taking agreements and copyrights seriously.”

As at the time of filing this report, Davido has not made any official statement addressing the allegations or the court summons. Efforts by journalists to reach his management team have so far yielded no results, leaving the public in suspense over how the music star intends to handle the matter.

However, sources close to the singer hint that his legal team is already working behind the scenes to see how best to resolve the situation without it escalating further.

This is not the first time Davido has been involved in controversy, but this case seems particularly delicate because it is unfolding in the U.S, where copyright laws are stringently enforced.

This is not the first time Davido has been involved in controversy, but this case seems particularly delicate because it is unfolding in the U.S, where copyright laws are stringently enforced.

For an artiste of Davido’s global stature with partnerships, international tours, and brand endorsements a legal judgement against him could damage both his reputation and financial standing.

Many believe the best course of action for Davido would be to settle the matter swiftly, either by fulfilling the initial agreement or negotiating new terms that would satisfy the plaintiffs.