Dr. Deji Adeleke, billionaire businessman and father of Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has stated that DNA tests conclusively proved his son is not the biological father of a girl, Aanu, who has been at the centre of a long-running paternity controversy.
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Lagos, Adeleke explained that multiple DNA tests conducted at different hospitals in Lagos all returned negative results, confirming that the child is not Davido’s daughter.
He disclosed that he first became aware of the issue years ago after receiving a letter from a lawyer alleging that Davido had impregnated a woman identified as Ayo Labinjoh and abandoned the child. According to Adeleke, the claims were taken seriously, but he insisted that scientific evidence must determine paternity.
“I have 14 grandchildren already, so having another one would not be a problem at all,” he said. “If science proves that a child is my granddaughter, I will gladly accept her. But DNA must speak.”
Adeleke said the letter he received included photographs of Davido, the woman, and the child, as well as a birth certificate. He noted inconsistencies in the document, particularly the use of the Adeleke surname for the child’s mother, which raised immediate questions.
To establish the truth, he said three DNA tests were conducted on Davido. Two returned negative results, while the third was invalid due to sample contamination. To eliminate any possible confusion with Davido’s cousin, Adebayo Adeleke, popularly known as B-Red, additional DNA tests were carried out on him, which also came back negative.
Describing how the test process was arranged, Adeleke said he personally contacted the child’s mother, assured her of his support if the child turned out to be his granddaughter, and facilitated her transportation from Ibadan to Lagos for the test. Samples were taken from saliva, not blood, and were sent abroad for analysis. Both he and the child’s grandmother were designated to receive the results.
“When the results came, the probability was zero,” he said. “Another test also confirmed the same outcome.”
Despite the results, Adeleke revealed that he had continued to support the child and her mother financially, including sponsoring the mother’s university education and the child’s schooling. He added that the mother eventually discontinued her studies, while the child completed primary school.
The controversy resurfaced after social media posts accused Davido of abandoning the child and demanded another DNA test, claims Davido publicly dismissed, stating that all previous tests had already cleared him.
Adeleke also alleged that some of the social media accounts pushing the narrative were created and managed by a media personality without the consent of the child’s family.
He maintained that while compassion guided his actions throughout the process, the DNA results remain final and definitive.
