The summons stems from a lawsuit filed by four Nigerian artists
U.S. Court Summons Davido Over Song Theft Claims, Unpaid $45,000 Deal
Nigerian music star David Adeleke, better known as Davido, has been ordered by a U.S. federal court to appear in New York within 21 days to address accusations of stealing a song and failing to honor a settlement agreement.
The summons stems from a lawsuit filed by four Nigerian artists—Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru—at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The plaintiffs allege that Davido lifted their 2022 track “Work” to produce his 2024 hit “Strawberry on Ice.” Court documents reveal that the group shared a demo of “Work” with Davido in January 2022, aiming for a collaboration to elevate their careers.
Instead, they claim he used it without consent, teaming up with Sierra Leonean artist Emmerson Amidu Bockarie (known as Emmerson) to rework the song, borrowing its instrumental and vocal elements. The lawsuit also names Emmerson, Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II, and Wynn Records, the label behind “Strawberry on Ice,” as co-defendants.
After months of trying to contact Davido, the artists say they reached a settlement with him on March 14, 2025. Under the deal, Davido agreed to pay $45,000 and share 40% of the song’s compositional royalties and 20% of its sound recording royalties. However, when he allegedly missed the payment deadline of March 24, the group filed suit on April 4.
In their legal action, the plaintiffs are asking the court to confirm that Davido violated their intellectual property rights to “Work.” They’re seeking $150,000 in damages, plus a court order to secure their agreed-upon 40% compositional and 20% sound recording copyright shares of “Strawberry on Ice.” They also want an injunction to stop Davido and the other defendants from further exploiting the song or infringing on their future works.
As of Thursday, Davido had not commented on the allegations, and Wynn Records also chose to remain silent on the issue. Read More
