Sophia Momodu, mother of Imade, daughter of renowned musician David Adeleke (Davido), has petitioned a Lagos State High Court in Sabo, Yaba, to deny Davido custody of their child. She revealed that Davido had ceased his financial responsibilities for their daughter because she refused to submit to his sexual demands.
On Friday, Sophia argued before the court that Davido is unfit for custody due to his frequent absences and inability to properly care for their daughter. This statement was made in a counter-affidavit opposing Davido’s lawsuit for custody.
Contrary to Davido’s assertions that he consistently met his financial obligations, Sophia disclosed that their daughter was nearly expelled from school because Davido failed to pay her tuition. She claimed that during their relationship, Davido showed little genuine affection or commitment to their daughter, often using his financial support as leverage for sexual favours.
“He only visited our daughter under the condition that I make myself available for his sexual gratification,”
she stated. Sophia further noted that Davido’s visits were primarily for media publicity rather than genuine paternal interest. She added that whenever she refused his advances, he would withdraw financial support and cease communication.
Sophia recounted an incident from 2017 when Davido allegedly evicted her and their daughter from his home in Atlanta, forcing them to seek refuge with a friend. She maintained that she never prevented Davido from seeing their daughter, attributing his absence to his own choices.
She highlighted that she had always been responsible for her accommodation and that Davido’s visits, particularly late at night, were often inappropriate.
“When I realised his visits were not to see our daughter but for other intentions, I asked him to stop coming at odd hours, which led him to halt his visits altogether,”
she explained.
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Sophia asserted that Davido had not consistently paid their daughter’s school fees, defaulting in 2021 and 2022, which led the school to threaten expulsion in early 2023. It was only through Davido’s father’s intervention that the fees were eventually settled.
Sophia stated that despite Davido’s claims, she has been the primary provider for their daughter, managing rent and other expenses without his support. She expressed her commitment to continue caring for her daughter, regardless of her father’s negligence.
At Friday’s court proceedings before Justice A. J. Bashua, Sophia was represented by a legal team led by Chief (Dr) Anthony Idigbe (SAN) of Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors. Idigbe raised concerns about a hearing notice published by Davido’s legal team, which mentioned their daughter’s name multiple times.
The judge concurred that while the media could report on the case, the child’s name should remain confidential. Consequently, non-involved parties were asked to leave the courtroom.
Idigbe cited Section 143 of the Child’s Rights Law of Lagos State 2015, which mandates that only relevant parties may attend court proceedings involving minors, and Section 144, which prohibits the publication of a child’s identity in such cases. He emphasised that proceedings should prioritise the child’s best interests, as per Section 145 of the law.
Sophia criticised the publication of the lawsuit in a national newspaper, arguing that it endangered their daughter’s safety, necessitating increased security measures.
Following the session, the court referred the case to the Alternative Dispute Resolution section for potential settlement during Settlement Week.
In response, Davido expressed his desire for joint custody, lamenting Sophia’s frequent references to his son’s death in 2022. On Instagram, he wrote,
“Your constant reminders of my child’s death haunt us every day. Imade will see I fought for her. For now, you can have her. She won’t be a child forever. Enjoy, Imade Aurora Adeleke! Your father loves you! All I asked for was joint custody, but because it’s ‘Davido,’ you all act like you can’t understand. I’m off this! Be blessed, and I hope this never happens to you.”
Davido clarified the difference between joint and sole custody, stressing that his request was for shared parenting responsibilities.
