In the heartfelt message shared on her Instagram page, Anuoluwapo explained that as she prepares to enter her teenage years, she feels compelled to seek clarity about her identity, stressing that the uncertainty has deeply affected her childhood and mental well-being.
Dr. Deji Adeleke, businessman and patriarch of the wealthy Adeleke family and father of Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has denied paternity of an Ibadan-based child after the 12-year-old girl, Mitchelle Anuoluwapo, publicly appealed for a DNA test to determine whether the singer is her biological father.
The renewed dispute followed an emotional Instagram post by the teenager, in which she described the psychological trauma, bullying, and identity crisis she said she has endured for years due to the unresolved paternity claim linking her to the award-winning musician.
In the heartfelt message shared on her Instagram page, Anuoluwapo explained that as she prepares to enter her teenage years, she feels compelled to seek clarity about her identity, stressing that the uncertainty has deeply affected her childhood and mental well-being.
Davido reacted swiftly and angrily to the renewed claims, insisting that the matter had long been settled and that he is not the girl’s father.
Responding directly in the comment section of the Instagram post, the singer denied ever having a relationship with the girl’s mother and stated that multiple DNA tests had already been conducted, all of which allegedly returned negative results.
However, Deji Adeleke, in a press conference on Thursday held at his Lagos residence, said the briefing was sparked by renewed social media claims by blogger Kemi Olunloyo, who has persistently alleged that Davido fathered Anuoluwapo.
“I’m not on social media, but I’m sure those of you on social media have been inundated with all kinds of talks about this issue. Almost every year, this thing keeps coming up regarding one little girl called Anuoluwapo, who lives in Ibadan, that Kemi Olunloyo has continually alleged that David is the father of the little girl,” he said.
Adeleke, who stated that he has 14 grandchildren, declared: “So what will one more do? Is it that I will not be able to afford to do things for her or bring her into my family?” he queried. “For science, DNA, if you say you are my granddaughter and science has proven that you are my granddaughter, I will gladly accept her. So let me tell you the story of how I got to know about Anu.”
He then presented a detailed timeline, supported by documents, to debunk the paternity claims.
Adeleke revealed that the issue first came to his attention in 2014 when he received a DHL package at his office from a law firm in Ibadan. The package contained a letter from the child’s grandmother, pictures of the child and her mother, a photoshopped image of Davido with the child, and the child’s birth certificate.
He said, “I received this via DHL at my office in 2014. In the package were pictures of a little girl and pictures of David. They took David’s picture from somewhere, cropped it, and put it with the little girl. There was also a picture of the mother of the girl.
“Curiously, there was also the birth certificate of the child. What caught my attention was that on the birth certificate, under the ‘full name of father,’ it said ‘Adeleke David.’”
He noted another curious detail: the birth certificate listed the mother’s surname as “Adeleke.”
“How can she be Adeleke? That caught my attention,” he said.
The grandmother’s letter, which Adeleke read aloud, pleaded for his intervention as a “God-fearing man,” urging that Davido “step up for a paternity test to confirm and take full responsibility for his daughter.”
Acting swiftly, Adeleke said he contacted the grandmother, sent his driver to Ibadan to verify their address, and arranged a DNA test at Vadik Hospital in Lekki, Lagos.
“Immediately I saw the letter, even before calling David or telling him about it, I called the woman and said, ‘I have not spoken to my son yet, but I will. Give me your address in Ibadan. I’ll send my driver to confirm where you live. If this girl is my granddaughter, you will have no problems with me.’”
According to him, he informed her that Vadik Hospital, where he does his medical check-ups, would arrange the DNA test through a partner laboratory, as the analysis would be conducted in South Africa.
According to Adeleke, on the appointed day, he sent his driver early to Ibadan to pick up the child, her mother, and grandmother. He noted that Davido was also present, alongside his aide.
He emphasized that Davido had initially denied knowing the child or her mother.
“David told me, ‘Daddy, I’ve never seen this girl before.’ And I told David, ‘I don’t want to listen to you. Whether you’ve seen her or not, all I want is this DNA test,’” he said.
Saliva samples were taken and sent to South Africa for analysis. All parties signed to jointly receive the results.
Adeleke displayed the original DNA test report to journalists, shielding sensitive information for privacy reasons. He pointed to the conclusion: “Probability of paternity, 0.00%.”
“The mother asked the lab officer, ‘What does this mean?’ It means David is not the father of the child,” Adeleke said. “She was really disappointed. She broke down and cried.”
In a show of goodwill, Adeleke said he offered to fund two additional DNA tests at different reputable facilities to eliminate any doubt. Asserting that he paid for the mother, child, and grandmother to stay in a Lagos hotel for a week while the tests were arranged.
He explained that subsequent tests from two other laboratories, including one based in the United States, returned the same result; Davido was excluded as the biological father.
Adeleke blamed blogger Kemi Olunloyo for the persistent scandal, displaying a WhatsApp message from a family member of the child in Abuja.
The message disowned Olunloyo’s actions, stating: “The account is run by Kemi Olunloyo, whom we have cut ties with years ago. We have reached out to her several times to stop posting anything about the child.”
Adeleke said he had advised his son to ignore Olunloyo, noting that even her biological son had publicly disowned her.
“If her own son can say that about her, why should we bother about what she says about David?” he said.