Nigerian Afrobeat superstar Davido has been served a summons by a U.S. federal court in New York following serious allegations of intellectual property theft and breach of a settlement agreement.
According to documents filed at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the singer whose real name is David Adeleke has been accused by four Nigerian artists of stealing a song they originally created and shared with him for a potential collaboration.
The plaintiffs, Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru claimed they composed a song titled “Work” in January 2022 and shared the demo with Davido in hopes of gaining exposure through a collaboration.
However, they allege that Davido instead used their original work without permission, recreating it into his 2024 track titled “Strawberry on Ice” in collaboration with Sierra Leonean artist Emmerson Amidu Bockarie, also known as Emmerson. The lawsuit claims both instrumental and vocal elements from “Work” were used in Davido’s song.
After months of trying to reach Davido, the group claimed they entered into a settlement agreement on March 14, 2025, which stipulated:
- A $45,000 payment from Davido
- 40% compositional royalties
- 20% of sound recording royalties for “Strawberry on Ice”
However, the plaintiffs alleged Davido failed to honor the payment deadline of March 24, leading them to file a lawsuit on April 4, 2025.
The artists are seeking the following from the court: $150,000 in damages, legal declaration that their intellectual property rights were violated, a transfer of 40% compositional and 20% sound recording copyright of “Strawberry on Ice”, an injunction stopping Davido and any collaborators from using or profiting from the song or any further infringements
As of press time, neither Davido nor his label Wynn Records has made a public statement regarding the allegations or the summons.
