Davido has reportedly been given a 21-day ultimatum by a U.S. District Court in New York over allegations of intellectual property theft.
According to the report by People’s Gazette, 4 Nigerian artists—Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru—are claiming Davido used their 2022 song “Work” without proper credit or permission. The track in question? His 2024 release, “Strawberry on Ice.”
The lawsuit doesn’t stop with Davido alone. It also reportedly lists artists he featured on the track—Emmerson, Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II—and even his label, Wynn Records.
From what’s being reported, the original creators said they sent “Work” to Davido hoping for a collab. But instead, the song allegedly ended up in the hands of Emmerson, who then sampled their vocals and instrumentals to cook up “Strawberry on Ice.”
Now here’s the twist—court documents allege that Davido later agreed to settle things. He reportedly promised to pay $45,000, along with 40% royalties for the songwriting and 20% from the track’s sound recording. The deadline for payment? March 24, 2025.
But wahala burst. They’re saying he didn’t follow through. No payment, no fulfillment of the agreed terms.
