Brownhill Investments Company Limited, the hosts of the yearly Warri Again Concert, have officially lodged a 2.3 billion Naira lawsuit against the Afrobeat artist Davido, whose real name is David Adeleke, on grounds of an alleged violation of their contractual agreement.

The legal action was instigated by Mr. Amaju Pinnick, a former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, who is associated with Brownhill Investments Company Limited. This lawsuit, identified as EHC/183/2023, has been formally submitted to the Delta State High Court in Effurun, signifying a legal challenge against Davido for his purported breach of the said agreement/contract.

The legal representative representing the plaintiff, Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem, is urging the court to consider and grant a sum of 2.3 billion Naira as general damages in the ongoing lawsuit. This claim is directed at both Davido and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited. The specific details supporting this requested amount are likely outlined in the court documents.

The plaintiff is also requesting the court to award 150 million Naira for legal and professional fees against Davido, in addition to an extra 30 million Naira to cover the expenses associated with filing the lawsuit. Furthermore, the plaintiff is seeking a court order that instructs the singer to issue a public apology on all of the 1st defendant’s social media accounts and handles, as well as in two national daily newspapers, for four consecutive days. This apology should be directed towards both the plaintiff and the attendees of the event.

In the statement of claim, the plaintiff asserted that in early 2023, Davido approached Pinnick during a meeting at Abuja Airport, expressing interest in participating in the 19th edition of the ‘Warri Again Concert’ scheduled for October 6, 2023. The plaintiff explained that although Pinnick initially hesitated to approve the request, he eventually agreed, and both parties agreed on a fee of 70 million Naira for Davido’s performance.

The plaintiff reported that on April 6, 2023, a payment of US$94,500.00 (equivalent to 70 million Naira) was duly made and acknowledged by the defendants. Subsequently, Davido created a promotional video for the event but failed to appear on the scheduled day.

The plaintiff provided details of substantial expenditures on print and social media advertisements and promotions. On September 29, 2023, a formal reminder letter, which included the private jet’s flight itinerary for Davido and his team, was sent, incurring an additional $18,000 in expenses.

However, the plaintiff stated that attempts to contact Davido and his team on the event day, October 6, 2023, were unsuccessful, and the private jet remained on standby at Lagos Airport, resulting in additional costs. As a result, Pinnick’s company is seeking payment of $94,500 as full compensation for engaging Davido’s services.