What turned a long‑running family dispute back into a national talking point was a social‑media post on January 15, 2026 that quickly went viral. On that day, a young teenager identified online as Mitchelle Anuoluwapo, widely referred to as Anu Adeleke shared an emotional message on Instagram asking Grammy‑nominated singer Davido to finally take a DNA test with her.
In her post, Anu said she had endured years of bullying and ridicule at school because of uncertainty about her father’s identity and appealed directly, writing that establishing it was important to her as she approached her teenage years. She called on Davido, tagging him and stressing that a test was something she personally wanted to settle her identity and end the hurt she said she had experienced.
The Instagram appeal immediately reignited public interest in a paternity claim that had circulated online off and on for years. Within hours, Davido took to his X account (formerly Twitter) to vehemently deny the claim and to assert that the matter had been conclusively addressed. He tweeted that five separate DNA tests (three at clinics he chose, and two at clinics chosen by the other side) had all returned negative results, showing he is not the father. His series of posts included profane language and a blunt rejection of the renewed request, and he declared it was the last time he would speak on “this nonsense.”
Davido’s forceful social‑media response turned what could have been a private plea from a teenager into one of the biggest online entertainment debates of early 2026. Almost immediately, the renewed attention brought the dispute back to the timelines of millions of Nigerians.
Why Deji Adeleke Broke His Silence
On Wednesday, Jan 21, fed up with the consistent Instagram posts from Anu Adeleke’s page calling Davido out despite his denial, billionaire Nigerian business magnate, Dr Adedeji Tajudeen Adedeji made it clear that he was not acting on impulse.
In his words, he said he had stayed quiet for years because the matter had already been addressed privately. But the return of the story to social media, particularly through posts attributed to Anu and commentary amplified by bloggers, pushed him to speak publicly.
“I am not on social media,” Adeleke said at the briefing. “But when something refuses to go away and it begins to affect people emotionally, especially a child, you have to address it with facts.”
Those facts, he insisted, were scientific.
The DNA Proof at the Centre of the Case
At the heart of the controversy is paternity. Dr. Adeleke stated that DNA tests were conducted to determine whether Davido is Anu’s biological father, and that the results showed he is not.
According to him, the family did not rely on a single test. He said more than one DNA process was carried out over time to remove doubt, and that the results were consistent. In his words:
“When we got to the hospital where The DNA was to be done, and David saw the baby’s mum, David said “daddy I have never seen this girl before” but I insisted that The DNA must be done. Davido and Anu’s saliva were taken for The DNA test. We were told the specimen would be sent to South Africa for analysis.
Myself and the grandmother of the baby signed that both of us would receive the result. The result came and the probability of paternity was 0%. Anu’s mum started crying. I suggested that they should stay in Lagos and pick where we can do two more tests.”
“If the DNA had shown that the child was my son’s, I would have accepted her immediately,” he said. “I have 14 grandchildren already. One more would not have been a problem.”
He added that the Adeleke family had nothing to gain from denying a biological child, arguing that the emotional and financial responsibility would have been willingly taken on if science had pointed in that direction.
The School Fees Claim and Why It Matters
One of the more sensitive revelations from the press conference involved school fees and financial support. Dr. Adeleke disclosed that, at different points, he had supported Anu’s education.
He revealed that he has been paying Anu’s school fees and caring for her for years, despite knowing that she is not his granddaughter. He explained that his actions were motivated purely by compassion.
Dr. Adeleke said, “I have been paying Anu’s school fees, and taking care of her for years. I gave Anu’s mother a scholarship at my university with money for upkeep of N50 thousand every month, knowing fully well Anu is not my granddaughter. I did all of these out of compassion.”
Kemi Olunloyo Enters the Picture
No retelling of the saga is complete without Kemi Olunloyo, the outspoken media personality whose commentary has repeatedly reignited public interest in the case.
During the press conference, Dr. Adeleke accused Olunloyo of spreading misinformation and fueling the controversy through online posts and alleged impersonation of accounts linked to the teenager. He said:
“Anu’s aunt reached out to me and revealed that Kemi Olunloyo is the one running Anu’s account on Instagram. I have always told David to ignore Kemi because her own biological son has publicly disowned her.“
“The fact that all you see on the social media, it’s not this girl writing it, it’s not the mother of the girl writing it, it’s Kemi Olunloyo. The woman is crazy, what she’s doing is even illegal, because you’re impersonating a minor. She’s the one that established the account for the little girl, established the account for the mother of the girl and then using this account, anytime she wants to start trouble,” he said.
Dr. Adeleke alleged that Olunloyo had been exploiting the situation financially, prompting the child’s family to cut ties with her. “From what the family told me, from what the girl told me, she was using the family, using the little girl to make money.
That’s why they stopped talking to her. She’s the one that controls those accounts. It’s not legal,” he added.
“She has no authority in this matter,” he said, distancing the family from her claims and suggesting legal action could follow if false narratives continued.
Why Anu’s Mum Fired Back
Hours after Dr. Deji Adeleke’s press conference, Ayo Labinjoh, Anu’s mother, responded with a series of lengthy posts from the same Instagram account Dr. Adeleke had claimed was being operated by Kemi Olunloyo. In the posts dated January 21, 2026, Labinjoh rejected key claims made at the briefing and accused the Adeleke family of intimidation, misrepresentation, and using intermediaries to control the narrative.
She began by addressing Dr. Adeleke directly, framing her response as a reaction not just to the press conference, but to what she described as years of pressure.
“Dr Deji Adeleke: You cannot intimidate us sir.”
Labinjoh disputed the claim that she and her daughter had ongoing dealings with the Adeleke family through legitimate and transparent channels. She expressed shock at learning that her sister, Titilayo ‘Titi’ Labinjoh, had allegedly been in contact with Dr. Adeleke since 2020 without her full knowledge.
According to her account, the contact was initially framed as concern over media attention but later appeared, to her, as collaboration with the Adeleke family.
“Titilayo… went to the oppressors to collect money? How?”
She alleged that financial support said to be for Anu’s care was routed through her sister, claiming she only received a fraction of what was allegedly sent.
“I heard ~N250K was sent for Anu’s care monthly for a year but Titi only gave me N100K.”
Rejecting the Kemi Olunloyo Narrative
A central part of Labinjoh’s response was her rejection of the assertion that Kemi Olunloyo was secretly controlling Anu’s Instagram account.
She acknowledged Olunloyo’s early involvement but denied any ongoing coordination or manipulation.
“Yes!! Dr Kemi opened this page and took photos online… She handed the page to us in 2019.”
Labinjoh explained that the account went inactive for several years because she was not a social-media user and only became active again in 2023, when she began posting around Anu’s tenth birthday. She insisted that neither she nor her family were currently in contact with Olunloyo.
“We are not in touch with Dr Kemi even though she posts about us… LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!!”
Disputing the DNA and School Narrative
Labinjoh directly contradicted Dr. Adeleke’s statement that multiple DNA tests had been conducted with her involvement. She maintained that she and Anu never met with Dr. Adeleke in 2020 for further testing and denied any meetings with Davido’s cousin, B-Red, beyond a single encounter in 2013.
“Anu and I NEVER met with you in 2020 for 4 additional DNA tests.”
She also challenged the framing of educational support, alleging that she was offered admission to Adeleke University under vulnerable circumstances and later withdrew following what she described as a frightening medical incident. She said:
“I was vulnerable, poor… One day I went to eat my meal at the school and started vomiting blood… I left hurriedly and dropped out.”
Naming Sikiru Adeleke and Alleging Surveillance
In a further escalation, Labinjoh named Sikiru Adeleke, described as Dr. Adeleke’s younger brother, accusing him of persistent contact and pressure following the press conference.
She alleged that he contacted her repeatedly in an attempt to recover money she said she had no means to refund and framed the calls as harassment.
“Sikiru Adeleke please stop stalking me!!!!”
She ended her posts with a stark warning, placing responsibility on named members of the Adeleke family should anything happen to her or her daughter.
“If anything happens to me or my daughter or mom, hold Sikiru Adeleke and Dr Deji Adeleke responsible.”
A Family Matter That Became Public Property
What makes this controversy so difficult to put to rest is that it sits at the intersection of celebrity, identity, and the internet. A private question—who is a child’s father—became a public spectacle because of fame, social media, and competing versions of the truth.
Dr. Adeleke ended his press conference by appealing for restraint, especially where the teenager at the centre of the story is concerned.
“Adults can argue,” he said. “But children should be protected.”
Whether the press conference achieves the closure he hopes for remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Adeleke family has drawn its line with documents in hand. But as long as responses continue to pour in, the conversation may not be over just yet.
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