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The organizers of the annual ‘Warri Again Concert,’ Brownhill Investments Company Limited, have filed a ₦2.3 billion lawsuit against the hip-hop artist, David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, alleging a breach of the agreement/contract they had entered into.
Brownhill Investments Company Limited, owned by the former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, lodged the lawsuit, designated as EHC/183/2023, with the Delta State High Court in Effurun.
The plaintiff, represented by its legal counsel, Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem, is seeking the court’s approval for N2 billion in general damages from Davido and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited.
The plaintiff is also urging the court to order Davido to pay N150 million as legal and professional fees, along with an additional N30 million to cover the cost of filing the lawsuit.
Furthermore, the plaintiff requests that the court instruct the singer to issue a public apology on all of the first defendant’s social media accounts/handles and in two national daily newspapers for four consecutive days, directed to the plaintiff and the event attendees.
According to the plaintiff’s statement of claim, in early 2023, Davido approached Pinnick at the Abuja Airport and expressed his interest in being part of the 19th edition of the ‘Warri Again Concert’ scheduled for October 6, 2023. Although Pinnick initially had reservations, they eventually reached an agreement on Davido’s performance fee, which was set at N70 million.
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.
The statement indicated that despite their efforts to contact Davido and his team on the day of the event, which was October 6, 2023, proved unsuccessful. The claimant mentioned that they had a private jet chartered and ready at the Lagos Airport to transport Davido and his team to Warri, in case they decided to attend.
As a result, Pinnick’s company is now seeking a payment of $94,500 as full compensation for the engagement of Davido’s services.
