Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido has been summoned to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan over allegations of intellectual property theft related to his 2024 track, “Strawberry on Ice.” Legal documents obtained by Peoples Gazette indicate that Davido has 21 days to respond to claims that he stole the 2022 song “Work” from a group of four Nigerian artists: Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru.
The lawsuit also names Emmerson Amidu Bockarie (Emmerson), who is featured on “Strawberry on Ice,” along with Carlos Jenkins, Matthew Quinney, Marques Miles II, and Wynn Records, the song’s publisher. The plaintiffs allege that Davido was given a demo of “Work” in January 2022 for a potential collaboration but instead used it without permission to create “Strawberry on Ice.”
Court filings reveal that Davido allegedly agreed to a $45,000 settlement and a share of royalties in March 2025 but failed to meet the payment deadline. The plaintiffs are now seeking $150,000 in damages, copyright ownership of “Strawberry on Ice,” and an injunction against further infringement.
Neither Davido nor a representative for Wynn Records immediately responded to requests for comment.
