Gladness Gideon
Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has found himself entangled in a legal battle in the United States, as four Nigerian artists accused him of intellectual property theft and breach of settlement in connection with his 2024 single Strawberry on Ice.
Filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit names Davido alongside Sierra Leonean artist Emmerson Amidu Bockarie, (known professionally as Emmerson), music producer Carlos Jenkins, and others affiliated with Wynn Records—the label behind the song’s release.
The plaintiffs—Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru—allege that Davido unlawfully appropriated their 2022 track titled Work, after they shared a demo with him in early 2022. The track was reportedly sent with the hope of securing a collaboration that could help elevate their profiles in the industry.
Instead, the artists claim Davido used significant vocal and instrumental elements from Work without authorization, reproducing it into Strawberry on Ice with Emmerson.
According to court documents, after months of attempting to reach Davido, a settlement agreement was reached on March 14, 2025. Under the terms, Davido allegedly agreed to pay $45,000 and grant the group 40% of the compositional royalties and 20% of the sound recording royalties associated with the track.
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However, the agreement reportedly fell through when Davido failed to fulfill the payment obligation by the March 24 deadline. Consequently, the plaintiffs filed the current suit on April 4.
They are now seeking a declaration from the court that their intellectual property rights were infringed, along with $150,000 in damages. Additionally, they are demanding a legal transfer of 40% compositional and 20% sound recording copyrights for Strawberry on Ice, as well as an injunction to bar Davido and his collaborators from further use or monetization of the contested work.
Davido has been formally summoned to appear before the New York court within 21 days of the notice. As of press time, neither Davido nor his representatives have issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit.
This case marks a significant moment in the ongoing conversation around intellectual property rights and artist collaborations in the global music industry.