Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Davido has found himself at the center of a contentious paternity dispute with a 12-year-old girl named Anuoluwapo Mitchelle Adeleke, known as Aanu, who claims to be his daughter.
The controversy erupted when Aanu posted an open letter on social media requesting a DNA test from the award-winning musician, stating she faced bullying at school for not having a father figure in her life. The public plea set off a chain of revelations and accusations that have captivated social media users across Nigeria and beyond.
In a direct response to the teenager’s appeal, Davido firmly denied being her biological father, revealing that he had undergone five separate DNA tests over the years—all of which, according to him, confirmed she is not his child. The singer expressed frustration at what he described as years of harassment, emphasizing the toll the situation has taken on his acknowledged children.
“You guys don’t know my father … he’s even the one who forced me to go. “Adeleke’s, we don’t play about blood on this side,” Davido wrote on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that his father, Dr. Deji Adeleke, had insisted on the testing. The statement came after critics questioned why he would conduct multiple DNA tests if he had never met Aanu’s mother, as he initially claimed.
Ayo Labinjoh, Aanu’s mother, has challenged the validity of the DNA tests in a statement posted on her daughter’s Instagram account. She alleges that in 2014, Dr. Deji Adeleke took them to a laboratory rather than a hospital, where her daughter’s blood sample was drawn and subsequently discarded without proper testing.
Labinjoh claimed that a lab technician named Wale Sobola, who allegedly posed as “Dr. Alex,” was involved in producing falsified results. She further stated that an associate of actress Sotayo Gaga had previously written about discarding blood samples without conducting proper tests, attributing personal misfortunes to this alleged misconduct.
The mother also contested Davido’s assertion that they had never met, claiming they encountered each other at HQClub. She accused the singer of abandoning her after assuming she was a prostitute and defended her daughter’s right to establish her identity.
“My daughter did not beg to be here. Saying you’ve never met me or telling your family that I was a prostitute is wrong. Bullying my daughter is WRONG,” Labinjoh stated.
The dispute intensified following the leak of alleged direct messages between Davido and the 12-year-old girl. In the unverified chat, which quickly went viral, the singer reportedly issued stern warnings and threats of legal action.
“Stop this nonsense. Keep playing, and I will arrest your mother. Try this nonsense again. I’m not your father,” one message allegedly read.
According to the leaked conversation, Davido detailed the testing process, claiming that four tests were conducted in hospitals—two selected by Labinjoh and two by him—with an additional test performed a decade ago. He reportedly promised to publish the results publicly and pursue criminal charges against Labinjoh.
“Don’t worry, I will publish them tomorrow and in the newspaper. I will publish online and in the newspaper. Then I will take your mom to court. She thinks it’s a game. Just watch. She will go to jail,” the messages purportedly stated.
In response to the alleged threats, Labinjoh announced plans to seek assistance from the United States State Department. Noting that Davido holds American citizenship, she indicated she would request embassy involvement to supervise an independent DNA test that both parties could accept as legitimate.
“David is a US citizen. I will request the US State Department to contact the Embassy in Lagos or Abuja to help us supervise and witness a clean, independent DNA test,” she wrote.
The highly public nature of the dispute has generated significant debate on Nigerian social media, with opinions sharply divided. Some users have expressed sympathy for the young girl caught in the controversy, while others have defended Davido’s right to protect his family from what he characterizes as persistent harassment.
The situation raises broader questions about paternity disputes, the reliability of DNA testing procedures in Nigeria, and the impact of social media on family matters that would traditionally remain private.
As of now, Davido has not publicly released the DNA test results he referenced, and the authenticity of the leaked messages remains unconfirmed. Both parties appear entrenched in their positions, with legal action looming on the horizon.
The entertainment industry and the public alike continue to watch closely as this sensitive family matter unfolds in the public eye.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Nigerian superstar Davido is embroiled in a public paternity dispute with 12-year-old Aanu Adeleke, who claims to be his daughter. The singer insists five DNA tests over the years prove she isn’t his child and denies ever meeting her mother, Ayo Labinjoh.
However, Labinjoh disputes the test results, alleging the samples were improperly handled at a laboratory in 2014 and calling for an independent, embassy-supervised DNA test. Leaked messages show Davido threatening legal action and jail time for Labinjoh, while she accuses him of abandonment and bullying her daughter.
