Dr. Deji Adeleke, businessman and patriarch of the Adeleke family, has denied claims that his son, Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, is the biological father of a 12-year-old Ibadan-based girl, Mitchelle Anuoluwapo, insisting that multiple DNA tests have conclusively ruled out the singer.
The denial followed renewed public attention sparked by an emotional Instagram post by Anuoluwapo, in which the teenager appealed for clarity about her paternity. She said years of uncertainty had subjected her to bullying, psychological trauma, and an identity crisis, particularly as she approaches her teenage years.
Davido reacted strongly to the post, stating that the matter had long been resolved. In the comment section, the singer denied ever having a relationship with the girl’s mother and maintained that several DNA tests had already confirmed he is not her father.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing on Thursday at his Lagos residence, Dr. Adeleke said he decided to speak publicly following renewed social media allegations by blogger Kemi Olunloyo, who has repeatedly claimed that Davido fathered the child.
“I am not on social media, but those of you who are know that almost every year this issue resurfaces,” Adeleke said. “There has been continuous talk about a little girl in Ibadan, Anuoluwapo, whom Kemi Olunloyo keeps alleging is David’s daughter.”
Adeleke stressed that he would have had no issue accepting the child if scientific evidence supported the claim. “I have 14 grandchildren. What will one more change? If science proves she is my granddaughter, I will gladly accept her,” he said.
He presented documents and a detailed timeline to counter the allegations, explaining that the matter first came to his attention in 2014 when he received a DHL package from a law firm in Ibadan. The package contained photographs of the child and her mother, a photoshopped image of Davido with the child, and the child’s birth certificate, which listed the father’s name as “Adeleke David” and the mother’s surname as “Adeleke.”
“That immediately raised questions,” he said. “How can the mother already bear the Adeleke surname?”
According to Adeleke, the accompanying letter from the child’s grandmother appealed to him as a “God-fearing man” to ensure that Davido submitted to a DNA test and took responsibility if confirmed as the father.
He said he immediately contacted the family, sent his driver to Ibadan to verify their address, and arranged a DNA test at Vadik Hospital in Lekki, Lagos, with samples sent to South Africa for analysis.
“I told my son I didn’t want explanations. Whether he knew the woman or not was irrelevant. All I wanted was the DNA test,” Adeleke said, noting that Davido initially denied knowing the child or her mother.
Saliva samples were collected from all parties, and the results were jointly received. Adeleke displayed the original report to journalists, noting that the conclusion showed a “0.00 per cent probability of paternity.”
“The lab officer explained to the mother that it meant David is not the father,” Adeleke said, adding that the woman broke down in tears upon hearing the result.
He further disclosed that, to eliminate any lingering doubts, he personally funded two additional DNA tests at reputable laboratories, including one in the United States. All the tests, he said, returned the same conclusion, excluding Davido as the biological father.
Adeleke blamed the persistence of the controversy on blogger Kemi Olunloyo, displaying a WhatsApp message allegedly sent by a family member of the child, which disowned Olunloyo’s actions and claimed the family had severed ties with her years earlier.
“I have advised my son to ignore her,” Adeleke said. “Even her own son has publicly disowned her. That tells you all you need to know.”
He reiterated that the family considers the matter settled and urged the public to disregard further claims linking Davido to the child.
