Dammy Krane petitions IGP over rift with Davido, demands $500,000

The ongoing feud between singer Dammy Krane and his colleague, Davido, has escalated further as he (Dammy Krane) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, against the latter.

The petition, submitted through the Centre for Prevention of Corruption and Human Rights Abuse Initiative, was filed weeks after Dammy Krane was released from detention by the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCID) in Abuja.

Dammy Krane’s arrest resulted from allegations of defamation levelled against Davido.

The dispute between the 32-year-old singer and the ‘Timeless’ hitmaker began in October 2023 when Dammy Krane accused Davido of owing him money for their 2017 collaboration on the song ‘Pere.’

Since then, the singers have been embroiled in a bitter dispute, exchanging accusations regarding Tagbo Umeike’s death, record deal sabotage, and other matters. Mr Umeike, the late friend of music artiste Davido, died from suffocation in October 2017.

Despite the challenges, Dammy Krane, through his legal representative M.R Tseen, the National Director of Legal Secretary, persisted in pursuing justice. He urged the IGP to order Davido to pay him the outstanding $500,000, approximately N821 million.

The statement partly read: “That David Adeleke, aka Davido, sometime in 2017, signed a music deal with Sony Music and sang his song titled Pere with David Adeleke, aka Davido, acknowledged that our client wrote the song. He also contacted David Adeleke, aka Davido, to pay him his fees, which he refused. David Adeleke, aka Davido, had promised to pay our client $500,000, which he failed to pay him.

“That he gave on many occasions demanded for the said sum before his life was threatened by one of Davido’s ally as can be seen in Exhibit 5 which his CCTV captured the incident. That he also tried to reach out to Davido to pay him his fees which Davido agreed but refused picking his calls which made him to post Exhibit 7 since he blocked him in all his phone lines. That police have also put PND on all his accounts with the banks using his BVN as he can no longer pay any bill hereby presently stranded.”

Tagbo

Additionally, Dammy Krane urged Mr Egbetokun to conduct a thorough investigation into Mr Umeike’s death, bring the case to a swift conclusion, and ensure that the suspect faces legal charges.

Moreover, he requested that the IGP assign the case to his impartial team of investigators.

“That he’s appealing for your intervention to direct the conclusion of the investigation in Tagbo’s death which is the basis of his arrest and threat to his life. That he’s passionately appealing to you as the head of the Nigerian Police with tears in his eyes to investigate his complaint and conclude the investigation of Tagbo’s death.

“Dear Inspector General of Police, we are highly confident that with your operational and administrative experience with the Nigerian Police, you will intervene there by saving the life of Oyindamola Johnson Emmanuel, aka Dammy Krane. We, therefore, passionately appeal to your reverend’s office to please order for the transfer of the case file to any team of unbiased police investigators to conclude with the investigation.”

Pere

Furthermore, Dammy Krane claimed that Davido stole his song, ‘Pere’ and alleged that he arrested him after he demanded payment for his rightful share.

“That he (Dammy Krane) made a post wherein he demanded his entitlement from Davido in respect of his music titled Pere, which was stolen by the said Davido. That on 21 August, 2024, Police from DIG, FCIID, Abuja stormed his residence in Lagos and arrested him, brought him to Abuja in the office of the Director NPF-National Cybercrime Centre and detain him till 29th August 2024 when he was released on administrative bail.

“That when the police officers from DIG, FCIID came to arrest him, he was informed that it was David Adeleke, aka Davido that reported a case of defamation of character against me. That he informed the police that the same allegation had been made by the lawyer to Davido, who wrote to him demanding for reaction to what was posted and to which his lawyers has responded.”

In June, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Davido, through his legal team, issued a cease and desist order to hold Dammy Krane accountable for his defamatory statements.

The legal action was prompted by a tweet that went viral, in which Dammy Krane alleged that he (Davido) was a “murderer” and a “cheat.

However, Dammy Krane did not back down or tone down the allegations against the singer.