A Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun has dismissed the preliminary objections filed by the Nigerian singer, David Adedeji Adeleke to two suits filed against him.

The first preliminary objection dismissed by the court was in the breach of contract suit filed against him and his company, Davido Music worldwide, by Amaju Pinnick and Brownhill Investment Company Limited over the yearly ‘Warri Again Concert.’

The second was in the defamation case filed against Davido and Israel Afeare, the one filed by Davido Music Worldwide and Israel Afeare by Amaju.

In the ruling delivered, on Tuesday, in suit marked EHC/183/2023 between Brownhill Investments Company Limited and Davido & Davido Music Worldwide Limited, bordering on breach of contract, the court disagreed with the arguments made by the defendants that the matter was a debt recovery case, and was premature since the claimant failed to issue a letter of demand requesting for a refund of money claimed in the case.

The court said it agreed with the claimant’s counsel that the reliefs sought in the writ of summons must be read jointly and cannot be read in isolation to determine the nature of the suit.

The court said the reliefs sought in the suit indicated clearly that the matter was a breach of contract one. It said there was no need for the issuance of any letter of demand prior to filing and/or instituting the same.

In the defamation case, the court maintained that it has territorial jurisdiction to hear and determine it since it was established that the claimant, who is resident within Delta State, was present in the state at the time the defendants posted the alleged defamatory publications online and also viewed the online defamatory statements while still in the state.