One of Africa’s music stars, David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, has initiated legal proceedings against Sophia Momodu, the mother of his first child, Imade. The custody battle, filed at the Lagos State High Court in Nigeria, seeks joint custody of their eight-year-old daughter.
Davido’s legal team, including Dr. Olaniyi Arije and Okey Barrah, filed the suit, marked LD/1587PMC/2024 and dated April 17, 2024. The singer is requesting “an order granting joint custody of Miss Imade Adeleke to the applicant” or, alternatively, “an order granting to the applicant unfettered and unrestricted access to Miss Imade.”
In a 44-paragraph affidavit, Davido detailed his financial contributions to Imade’s upbringing, including payment of school fees, rent for Momodu’s apartment, and the provision of vehicles for transportation. The singer claims to have offered Momodu a ₦200 million apartment in a gated community in Victoria Island, Lagos, which she allegedly declined.
Davido also states that he provided two SUVs—a Range Rover and a Highlander—along with ₦5.8 million for vehicle repairs. He further alleges that he made commitments for living expenses, nanny fees, medical care, insurance, and international travel costs for Imade.
Despite these efforts, Davido claims Momodu has made “outlandish and utopian demands,” including a request for $19,600 annually for nanny services. The singer expresses frustration, stating that Momodu “has continued to show me unwarranted cruelty, inflicting so much pain on me.”
This legal action marks a new chapter in the ongoing tensions between Davido and Momodu. In 2021, Momodu publicly expressed her distress over Imade bearing Davido’s surname instead of hers, highlighting the complex dynamics of their co-parenting relationship.
As this high-profile case unfolds, it sheds light on the challenges of co-parenting in the public eye and the intersection of celebrity status with personal family matters in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
The outcome of this custody battle could have significant implications not only for Davido and Momodu but also for similar cases involving high-profile individuals in Nigeria.
