Brownhill Investments Company Limited, owned by former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has initiated a legal action against hip-hop artiste David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over an alleged breach of agreement.
The company, which organises the annual ‘Warri Again Concert’, filed the suit at the High Court of Delta State in Effurun seeking a whopping N2.3 billion in damages.
The renowned singer and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited, are listed as defendants in the suit marked EHC/183/2023.
The claimant asserts that Davido failed to honour his commitment to perform at the Warri Again Concert, despite receiving substantial compensation and extensive arrangements being made for his transportation to the event.
It is alleged that Davido was paid a substantial sum of $94,600 for his performance at the concert. Moreover, an additional $18,000 was disbursed to charter a private plane to transport the artiste to Warri, underscoring the significant investment made on his behalf.
The claimant, through its lawyer, Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem, has set forth a litany of claims, asking the court to award N2bn as general damages against Davido and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited.
The claimant is praying the court to award against Davido the sum of N150 million as legal and professional fees and an additional sum of N30 million as the cost of filing the suit.
It also wants the court to order the singer “to tender a public apology on all the 1st defendant’s social media accounts/handles and in two national daily newspapers for four consecutive days, to the claimant and attendees”.
In a bid to safeguard their interests, the claimant is also seeking an injunction that would prohibit Davido from participating in any shows or events within the borders of Nigeria. This move underscores the seriousness of the allegations and the desire to prevent any recurrence of such breaches of contract.
In its statement of claim, the claimant stated that sometime in early 2023, Davido approached Pinnick, when they met at the Abuja Airport, and asked to be engaged for the 19th edition of the ‘Warri Again Concert’ event to be held on October 6, 2023.
The claimant said Pinnick was hesitant to grant the request, but he eventually did and they agreed on N70 million as Davido’s performance fee.
It said that thereafter, the sum of US$94,500.00 (an equivalent of N70m) was paid on April 6, 2023, and the same was duly acknowledged by the defendants.
It said after the payment, Davido did a promotional video ahead of the event but he eventually failed to show up on the day of the event.
The claimant stated that it expended humongous resources on print and social media adverts and promotions for the event, adding that on September 29, 2023, precisely a week before the slated date of the event, a formal letter of reminder was sent to the Davido in respect of the event, which contained flight itinerary of the private jet chartered to personally convey him and his team to and from Warri, Delta State for the event, thereby incurring additional expenses of $18,000.
It stated, however, that all attempts to reach Davido and his team on the day of the event, October 6, 2023, were futile, adding that it kept the private jet chartered to convey Davido and his team to Warri at the airport in Lagos on standby should they eventually show up.
Consequently, Pinnick’s company is asking for the payment of $94,500 as full payment for engaging the services of Davido.
