A fresh public confrontation has emerged between Nigerian Afrobeats superstar David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and a woman and child who have been linked to him in a long standing paternity dispute dating back to 2017.
The disagreement resurfaced on Thursday, 15 January 2026, when a twelve year old girl, Anuoluwapo Mitchelle, and her mother, Ayo Labinjoh, responded to Davido’s recent claim that multiple DNA tests had confirmed he was not the child’s biological father.
Davido is a globally recognised Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer, and the founder of Davido Music Worldwide. He is also a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, with a large international fan base across Africa, Europe, and North America.
Okay News reports that the young girl and her mother accused the singer of intimidation, verbal abuse, and spreading what they described as inconsistent and misleading information about DNA testing conducted in the past.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Anuoluwapo Mitchelle expressed distress over Davido’s reaction to her earlier public appeal for a DNA test to clarify her identity.
“My dad Mr David Adeleke replied me earlier this evening. I was devastated on the way he cursed me out bullied me and threatened to lock my mother up simply because I want to establish my identity,” she wrote.
The teenager also challenged Davido’s public statements about the number of DNA tests allegedly conducted, saying his claims had changed over time.
“He also tweeted to the world calling my mom a ‘bitch’ he never met yet claiming he now had five DNA tests with me. First it was two, now it is five. He even said the last one was on my tenth birthday,” she added.
According to the child, only one DNA test was ever carried out, and she alleged that the process was questionable.
“According to my mom, we only went for one test which was fake as posted on her statement pinned on top of this page,” she said, urging the public to read her mother’s detailed explanation.
She further thanked Nigerians and members of the media for their support, stating that her mother had moved on from the controversy and did not welcome what she described as false narratives.
In a separate and strongly worded statement, Ayo Labinjoh rejected Davido’s remarks and denied being referred to as his former partner.
“First things first, my name is Ayo Labinjoh. I am not Davido’s baby mama or a bitch,” she wrote.
Labinjoh said her primary concern had always been her daughter’s mental health, alleging that the child endured years of online harassment linked to the unresolved paternity issue.
She claimed the renewed attention had deeply affected the girl, stating that her daughter “cried for days, fainted in school and went through psychotherapy.”
Labinjoh also disputed earlier claims made on Davido’s behalf that multiple DNA tests were conducted.
“Last time it was his lawyer who brainwashed Nigerians that there were two tests done and I chose the hospital,” she said.
She further alleged that the laboratory process was compromised and insisted that the blood sample taken from her daughter was never properly tested.
“We wasted our time, disrupted Anu’s mental health then they lied that we did two tests, now five and then he has never met me,” she wrote.
Labinjoh also accused the singer of directly contacting her daughter with threats.
“David chatted my daughter tonight threatening to lock me up,” she stated.
Looking ahead, she said any future DNA test must be conducted under international supervision due to Davido’s United States citizenship.
“David is a United States citizen. I will request the United States Department of State to contact the Embassy in Lagos or Abuja to help us supervise and witness a clean independent DNA test,” she said.
The latest exchange followed Davido’s recent social media posts on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, where he insisted he had conducted five DNA tests, all of which he said were negative.
“I am not your father,” the singer wrote, adding that he never had a personal relationship with Labinjoh outside the DNA process and describing the claims against him as nonsense.
The dispute, which has remained unresolved for nearly a decade, continues to draw widespread public attention in Nigeria and beyond, with both parties firmly standing by their opposing accounts.
