Court rejects Davido’s application for stay of proceedings in ₦2bn breach of contract lawsuit

Brownhill Investment Company Limited who are the organisers of the annual Warri Again event are in court to claim 2 billion naira in general damages in an action against Davido over alleged breach of contract after he failed to appear at the Warri Again event in 2023.

In, additional prayers before the court, the claimant is seeking N150 million as legal and professional fees and an additional N30 million as the cost of filing the suit.

Davido’s lawyer Mr. Norrison Quakers, SAN applied for a stay of proceeding praying to the court to stall the lawsuit as the case was currently pending before the Court of Appeal which is a superior court of record.

The application was rejected as the court in a bench ruling held that until an order staying further proceedings is obtained from the Court of Appeal, the High Court will continue with proceedings in the case.

The court also granted the motion on notice seeking to regularise the claimant’s reply to the statement of defence and directed that Pre-Trial Conference, PTC, forms be filed within 14 days in line with the rules of the court. The court adjourned the case to March 21, 2024, for a pre-trial conference.

Davido’s lawyers have previously attempted to have the case thrown out by challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case because the action ought to be instituted in a court in Effurun. However, the court dismissed the preliminary objection.

Recall that former NFF President Amaju Pinnick of Brownhill Investment Company Limited during the event told the attendees that Davido failed to honour the contract of performance despite being paid thousands of dollars in down payment and a private jet chartered to convey him to Warri.

Davido replied on social media by claiming that the show clashed with his concert in New Zealand and that the Warri Again organisers were fully aware of the situation but elected to use his image to promote the event.