Nigerian music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has been summoned by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to respond to allegations of intellectual property theft. The court has given the singer 21 days to appear and address claims detailed in a lawsuit filed on April 4 by four Nigerian artists, okay.ng reports.
The plaintiffs—Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru—accuse Davido of unlawfully using elements from their 2022 track Work to create his 2024 release Strawberry on Ice. According to court documents, the original track had been shared with Davido as part of a proposed collaboration, which never materialized.
Instead, the artists allege, Davido repurposed their work without authorization and involved Sierra Leonean singer Emmerson (Emmerson Amidu Bockarie), along with Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II, and Wynn Records—the agency that distributed the song. The plaintiffs claim the final product, Strawberry on Ice, incorporated distinct instrumental and vocal elements from their original composition.
Efforts to resolve the matter outside court began after months of failed contact. Davido eventually agreed to settle by paying $45,000 and allocating 40% of the composition royalties and 20% of sound recording royalties to the original creators. The payment was scheduled for March 14, 2025, with a final deadline set for March 24. According to the lawsuit, Davido failed to honor this agreement.
As a result, the plaintiffs are seeking $150,000 in damages and are requesting the transfer of 40% of the compositional rights and 20% of the sound recording rights for Strawberry on Ice. Additionally, they want a court injunction to prevent Davido and his associates from further use or infringement of the song or any future intellectual property belonging to the group.
