Organizers of the annual ‘Warri Again Concert’ have filed a N2.3 billion lawsuit against Nigerian-American superstar singer, Davido, and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited, over an alleged breach of contract. The suit, brought before the High Court of Delta State in Effurun, seeks compensation for damages and costs associated with the dispute.
In the suit with reference number EHC/183/2023, filed by Brownhill Investments Company Limited, Davido is being asked to pay N2 billion as general damages and N150 million as legal and professional fees, along with an additional N30 million as the cost of filing the suit. The claimant is also requesting a court order directing Davido and his music label to issue a public apology on all of Davido’s social media accounts and two national daily newspapers for four consecutive days.
The lawsuit alleges that in early 2023, Davido approached the claimant’s chairman, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, to engage his services for the 19th edition of the “Warri Again” event scheduled for October 6, 2023. Although the claimant had experienced previous disappointments with Davido, it decided to enter into a performance agreement with him after the 1st defendant promised to attend the event.
According to the Performance Agreement dated March 30, 2023, Davido was to receive a performance fee of N70 million, which was paid on April 6, 2023. A promotional video was created featuring Davido confirming his attendance and live performance at the event. The claimant invested significant resources in print and social media promotions.
Despite these preparations, Davido did not appear for the event, leading to disappointment among attendees. He subsequently posted insults, defamatory remarks, threats, and insults on social media directed at Mr. Amaju Pinnick, the chairman of the claimant. Davido also made false statements on his social media accounts regarding his prior notice of non-attendance, which the claimant disputes.
The lawsuit demands the payment of $94,500 as full compensation for engaging Davido’s services and seeks an injunction to prevent Davido from performing at any event in Nigeria until the disputed amount is refunded.
