The long-running paternity dispute involving Afrobeats star David Adeleke (Davido) intensified this week after his father, business magnate Adedeji Adeleke, addressed claims that a 12-year-old girl named Anuoluwapo (Anu) Adeleke is the singer’s daughter. The matter, which has drawn intense public scrutiny on social media, has spotlighted conflicting accounts over DNA evidence and the origins of social media narratives.
At a Wednesday 13th January press briefing in Lagos, Dr. Adeleke reiterated that multiple DNA tests have been conducted to determine whether his son is the biological father of Anu, all of which returned negative results, showing no genetic link. He said three of the tests involved Davido directly, and additional tests were conducted for his cousin Adebayo David Adeleke (B-Red) to rule out any case of mistaken identity. All five results, he said, showed no probability of paternity. The paternity question first drew attention publicly when the girl’s mother, Ayo Labinjoh, and Anu herself posted an appeal on Instagram in mid-January asking Davido to take a DNA test so Anu could establish her identity after years of bullying and ridicule at school. Anu detailed persistent emotional distress related to the uncertainty about her father’s identity.
Dr. Adeleke explained that he became aware of the claim in 2014, when he said he received a package containing photographs, a birth certificate listing Davido as father, and a letter from the child’s grandmother. He said he arranged the first DNA test in Lagos and offered additional tests to ensure scientific clarity.
While Davido himself has previously addressed the matter on social media, insisting that multiple tests had already been completed with consistent negative results, the renewed public debate has underscored the challenges of managing sensitive personal issues involving minors in the digital age.
At the briefing, Adeleke also accused a social media commentator of allegedly impersonating the child’s online presence and amplifying the controversy without the family’s consent, an assertion that has not been independently verified publicly.
