Davido paternity saga: Adeleke reveals Five DNA tests, family’s behind-the-scenes probe

Adedeji Adeleke, father of Nigerian music star Davido, has revealed how the Adeleke family coordinated multiple DNA tests to resolve the paternity controversy involving a 12-year-old girl, Anuoluwapo, who claims the singer is her father.

The controversy resurfaced in mid-January after Anuoluwapo shared an emotional post on Instagram on January 15, alleging she had been subjected to bullying and ridicule over claims that Davido, whose real name is David Adeleke, is her biological father.

The child said the ongoing speculation had taken a toll on her mental health and called on the singer to undergo a DNA test to confirm her paternity.

Speaking with journalists, Dr. Adeleke disclosed that before the matter formally reached the family, social media personality Kemi Olunloyo had suggested that the child might instead be related to B-Red, Davido’s cousin.

According to him, the similarity in names contributed to the confusion. “Because B-Red’s name is Adebayo, but his middle name is also David Adeleke, when the aunty of the little girl came, I said, ‘Look, this is what we are going to do,’” Adeleke recounted.

He explained that the family deliberately opted for multiple independent DNA tests to eliminate doubt. “I told them to pick their own clinic of choice, come to Lagos, and we would do the test there. But before that, I also arranged another clinic in Lekki so that David and the little girl would do two more tests, and then I arranged two clinics for my nephew Bayo to do two tests,” he said.

“That’s why you must have heard we’ve done five DNA tests,” Adeleke added, clarifying that three tests involved Davido, while two were conducted for B-Red.

Dr. Adeleke also recounted how the family first became aware of the child years earlier. He said he received a package via DHL from Ibadan in 2014 containing photographs of the child, pictures of Davido with the girl, images of the child’s mother, and a birth certificate.

“What caught my attention was that the birth certificate stated the full name of the father as Adeleke David and the full name of the mother as Adeleke Ayoomide,” he said. “How can she be Adeleke? That immediately raised questions.”

The package also included a letter from the child’s grandmother, Anu, who introduced herself as a widow and claimed that her daughter became pregnant after meeting Davido when he visited Ibadan for a show. In the letter, she insisted that Davido was responsible for the pregnancy and stated that the baby girl was born on November 19.

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Adeleke said he immediately contacted the grandmother, assuring her that if the child was indeed his granddaughter, she would be fully accepted into the family.

He also arranged for a DNA test at a hospital in Lekki, which he described as an Indian-owned medical facility where he regularly receives care.

According to him, the DNA testing process was conducted using saliva samples rather than blood. The samples were sealed and sent to South Africa for analysis.

“When the day came, my driver brought the mother, the baby, and the grandmother to the hospital. We were all briefed on the procedure,” Adeleke said. “When the result was ready, the mother, the grandmother, and I signed that we would jointly receive it. I then called her, and we opened the result together.”