The long-running paternity controversy surrounding Afrobeats superstar Davido has taken a darker and more complex turn, following fresh allegations by the mother of 12-year-old Anu, the girl at the centre of the dispute.
In a strongly worded statement released late Wednesday, she accused the powerful Adeleke family of intimidation, manipulation and abuse of influence, while firmly rejecting claims that multiple DNA tests were conducted years after the initial process.
Her intervention comes barely 24 hours after Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, billionaire businessman and father of Davido, went public with a detailed account of how the family allegedly coordinated up to five DNA tests involving Davido, his cousin B-Red, and the child.
While Dr. Adeleke framed the process as thorough and transparent, Anu’s mother painted a starkly different picture — one marked by fear, family betrayal and unanswered questions.
Allegations of Intimidation and Family Betrayal
At the heart of her statement is a deeply personal claim: that her own sister, Titilayo Labinjoh, had been in contact with Dr. Adeleke since the COVID-19 pandemic, without her knowledge.
“To my shock, my own sister Titi Labinjoh reportedly has been talking to Dr. Deji Adeleke since the pandemic. About what?” she asked, suggesting secrecy and possible manipulation.
She further alleged that Titilayo recently called their mother from Abuja, expressing fear over the renewed media attention and complaints from colleagues at her workplace.
READ ALSO: Davido paternity saga: Adeleke reveals Five DNA tests, family’s behind-the-scenes probe
While their mother reportedly advised her to ignore the situation, Anu’s mother questioned why the child at the centre of the storm was expected to silently endure public scrutiny and emotional distress.
More troubling, she said, were claims that her sister may have received money from the Adeleke family — an allegation she described as devastating. Citing Matthew 10:36, she likened the situation to betrayal from within her own household.
Rejecting the Kemi Olunloyo Narrative
The mother also sought to distance herself from claims that she collaborated with controversial blogger Kemi Olunloyo to push the paternity narrative online. According to her, Olunloyo’s involvement dates back years and was neither strategic nor ongoing.
“Dr. Kemi opened this page and took photos online — some with Anu and some I posted myself. She handed the page to us in 2019. I’m not a social media user and didn’t post for four years,” she explained.
She said she only resumed posting in 2023 during Anu’s 10th birthday photoshoot and clarified that she no longer lives in Ibadan, while Anu currently resides with her grandmother. She added that neither she nor her sister maintains contact with Olunloyo, despite the blogger’s continued public commentary.
Recalling earlier events, she noted that Olunloyo had openly supported the family during a 2018 appeal and even held a press conference on their behalf — context she said is now being selectively ignored.
“Let David Speak for Himself”
In perhaps the most confrontational part of her statement, Anu’s mother directly addressed Dr. Adeleke, accusing him of speaking on behalf of his son and using wealth and influence to control the narrative.
“Sir, as the patriarch of the family, you should not be talking on David’s behalf. I’m not Sophia negotiating child support. Let David address me,” she said.
She went further, alleging that the family deployed someone to monitor her and her relatives, and warning that any harm to herself, her daughter or her mother should be taken seriously by law enforcement.
“Your power and money are being abused here. David is obviously a boy and not a man,” she declared, in a statement that sharply contrasts with the elder Adeleke’s portrayal of a responsible and systematic family approach.
DNA Tests: Competing Versions of the Truth
A major fault line in the controversy remains the issue of DNA testing. While Dr. Adeleke claimed that additional tests were conducted years after the initial one — bringing the total to five — Anu’s mother flatly denied this.
“Anu and I never met with you in 2020 for four additional DNA tests,” she stated, insisting that such claims are false and misleading.
She also dismissed any suggestion that Davido’s cousin, B-Red, could be Anu’s father, describing the idea as baseless. According to her, she last saw B-Red in February 2013, long before Anu was conceived, and the child has never met him.
She alleged that suspicions involving B-Red originated from probing questions asked by Kemi Olunloyo during a detailed interview, parts of which are now circulating online.
“She suspected I may have also slept with him. That interview is now floating around,” she said, before issuing a direct challenge to the Adeleke family: “Post the tests, sir.”
A Battle Beyond Biology
What is increasingly clear is that the Davido paternity dispute has evolved beyond a question of DNA into a broader struggle over power, credibility and control of narrative. On one side is one of Nigeria’s most influential families, presenting their version through interviews and institutional authority.
On the other is a mother insisting that her voice — and her child’s wellbeing — has been marginalised.
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