‘We did multiple DNA tests, she’s not my granddaughter’, Deji Adeleke speaks on Davido’s latest paternity row
Dr. Deji Adeleke, father of Afrobeats superstar Davido, has publicly addressed ongoing paternity claims involving his son and a teenage girl named Anu. Speaking at a press briefing that quickly went viral, Dr. Adeleke outlined the steps the family took to verify the girl’s claim.
The origin of the controversy
The allegations stem from Ayo Labinjo, an Ibadan-based woman, who claims she had a relationship with Davido in his early career, resulting in the birth of Anu, whom she says the singer abandoned. The matter resurfaced recently after a social media post, allegedly by the child, requested another DNA test to confirm paternity.
Davido responded last week, stating he had already undergone multiple DNA tests, all of which proved he is not the child’s father.
Dr. Deji Adeleke explains the family’s actions
Dr. Adeleke said the family has conducted several DNA tests to verify Anu’s claim. He emphasised that the family would gladly accept the child as part of their family if the results had shown she was Davido’s daughter.
He recounted that the first contact regarding the claim came in 2014 via a package containing photographs of Davido and the child, a birth certificate listing him as father, and a letter from the child’s grandmother. The grandmother, a widow, stressed that she was seeking only confirmation of paternity, not financial gain or marriage, and asked for a DNA test.
How the DNA tests were conducted
Dr. Adeleke personally arranged for the testing at Vedic Lifecare Hospital in Lagos, with samples sent to South Africa for analysis. He explained:
“Saliva samples were taken from both Davido and the child, in the presence of the grandmother and relevant family members. Only those directly involved were allowed into the testing room.”
The results showed a 0% probability of paternity, a conclusion reinforced by multiple follow-up tests that the family offered to conduct to eliminate any doubt.
“Science is clear,” Dr. Adeleke said. “DNA doesn’t change, no matter how many times it’s tested.”
Addressing online misinformation
Dr. Adeleke also condemned social media narratives surrounding the case, particularly actions by Kemi Olunloyo, who he claims created social media accounts impersonating the child to spread false information about the family.
He stressed the importance of protecting personal DNA information, citing potential security and legal risks if results were made public.
“The Adeleke family has nothing to gain from denying a child,” he added. “We already have 14 grandchildren—one more is not an issue. But science is definitive.”
He concluded by urging the public to ignore misleading online claims and focus on verified facts.
