Davido, a popular Nigerian singer, has agreed to negotiate a settlement with Brownhill Investment Company Limited, which is led by Amaju Pinnick. The company filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Davido in January of this year. The lawsuit alleges that Davido breached a contract with the company by failing to perform at a concert in Lagos, Nigeria.
As part of a N2 billion lawsuit filed against him, Davido has agreed to pay N30 million to the plaintiff, Brownhill Investment Company Limited. This payment is intended to help cover the company’s legal fees, and is to be made within seven days of the settlement agreement. A Delta State High Court in Effurun previously denied Davido’s request to halt the lawsuit.
According to court documents obtained by SaharaReporters, the company Brownhill Investments alleged that Davido met its chairman, Amaju Pinnick, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. In that meeting, Davido requested to perform at the company’s ‘Warri Again Concert’. However, Pinnick was initially reluctant to grant the request due to Davido’s prior history of disappointing the company.
According to the company, Davido signed the performance agreement after insisting on full payment and a signed contract. The agreement was dated March 30, 2023. However, the company alleges that Davido then went to another event on the same date, at Lux Nightclub in Melbourne, Australia. The company claims that this was a breach of contract on Davido’s part, and they are seeking compensation for damages.
The claimant, represented by Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem, is seeking N2 billion in general damages from Davido and his music company, Davido Music Worldwide Limited. Additionally, the claimant is requesting N150 million in legal fees and N30 million in court fees. The lawsuit names David Adeleke, also known as Davido, and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited, as defendants.
During the hearing on Thursday, Davido’s lawyer, Norrison Quakers (SAN), informed the court that an appeal was pending and that the defendants had filed a motion to stay the proceedings. Quakers further informed the court that the defendants had been served with a copy of the claimant’s reply to the motion for a stay. However, Quakers then moved to withdraw the motion, arguing that the Court of Appeal had taken over jurisdiction of the case. Onwuegbuchulem, the claimant’s lawyer, did not object to the withdrawal of the motion, and the court granted the withdrawal.
The court accepted the claimant’s argument that proceedings should continue until an order from the Court of Appeal is issued to stay the proceedings. The court also granted the motion to correct the claimant’s reply to the statement of defense and directed that Pre-Trial Conference (PTC) forms be filed within 14 days. The court adjourned the case to March 21, 2024, for a pre-trial conference.