Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has filed a lawsuit against Nigerian hip-hop star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over an alleged breach of contract to perform at a show.
Pinnick instituted a N2.3 billion against Davido, with his Brownhill Investments Company Limited, which was the organisers of the annual ‘Warri Again Concert’.
The suit marked EHC/183/2023 before the Delta State High Court in Effurun, was filed by the claimant, through its lawyer, Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem, asking the court to award N2 billion as general damages against Davido and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited.
The claimant prayed 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 asked 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 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 the former NFF boss 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 N70 million) was paid on April 6, 2023, and the same was duly acknowledged by the defendants.
It further said after the payment, Davido did a promotional video ahead of the event but did not honour the show by refusing to appear at the event.
The claimant stated that it spent huge amount of money on print and social media adverts and promotions for the event.
It added that on September 29, 2023, precisely a week before the scheduled date of the event, a formal letter to remind the singer was sent to him, which contained flight itinerary of the private jet chartered to convey him and his team to and from Warri, Delta State for the event, thereby incurring additional expenses of $18,000.
It revealed, however, that all attempts to reach Davido and his team on the day of the event, October 6, 2023, were abortive, 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 aske for the payment of $94,500 as full payment for engaging the services of Davido.
