The U.S. District Court in Manhattan has issued a 21-day ultimatum to Nigerian music superstar, David ‘Davido’ Adeleke, to respond to a lawsuit accusing him of copyright infringement.
The suit, filed on April 4, 2025, by four Nigerian artists — Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru — alleges that Davido illegally used their 2022 song Work as the foundation for his 2024 release Strawberry on Ice.
Also named in the lawsuit are Sierra Leonean singer Emmerson (Emmerson Amidu Bockarie), who featured on the song, along with Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II, and Wynn Records — the label that published and distributed the disputed track.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs claim they initially shared Work with Davido in January 2022, seeking a potential collaboration. Instead, they allege, Davido passed the track to Emmerson, who allegedly sampled elements of the song — including vocals and instrumentals — without their consent.
After attempts to settle the matter privately, the plaintiffs say Davido agreed to a resolution on March 14, 2025. The terms included a $45,000 settlement and a royalty split: 40% of the song’s composition rights and 20% of the recording rights. However, Davido allegedly missed the March 24 deadline to fulfill the agreement.
As a result, the plaintiffs are now demanding $150,000 in damages and official recognition of their creative contribution — specifically, 40% ownership of the composition and 20% of the master recording for Strawberry on Ice. They’re also seeking a court order preventing further use or unauthorized sampling of their work by Davido or his collaborators.
As of now, Davido has not issued a public response to the lawsuit. Wynn Records, when contacted by Peoples Gazette, declined to comment.
