Davido, Sophia and Imade
by Atafo Igbinedion
International award-winning singer David Adeleke, known as Davido, has taken Sophia Momodu, the mother of his first child, Imade, to court seeking custody of their daughter.
In a motion filed by his lawyers, Dr. Olaniyi Arije and Okey Barrah, at the Lagos State High Court on April 17, 2024, Davido is requesting “an order granting joint custody of Miss Imade Adeleke to the applicant.” Alternatively, he is asking for “an order granting to the applicant unfettered and unrestricted access to Miss Imade.”
The suit, marked LD/1587PMC/2024, lists Mr. David Adedeji Adeleke as the applicant and Ms. Sophia Momodu as the sole respondent. The motion is supported by a 44-paragraph affidavit deposed by Davido.Davido recounted that although he had a relationship with Momodu that led to the birth of their child on May 14, 2015, it ended years ago. He stated, “We resolved to take care of our child as biological father and mother.”
He further explained, “I have been responsible for the payment of all my daughter’s school fees to provide her with the best education possible and to meet all her educational needs without a hitch. I have also been providing money for the rent of the apartment where the respondent resides with our daughter.”
Out of love for Imade, Davido said he purchased a N200m apartment in a gated community at Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, offering it to Momodu. “The respondent rejected the offer to stay and live at the above-described secured Oniru apartment but demanded that I continue to pay N5,000,000 annually for a rented facility as my own contribution towards my daughter’s accommodation,” he added.
To ensure Imade’s welfare, Davido noted, “I bought a Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle for the use of the child and the respondent for transportation needs.” He also provided a Highlander SUV and N5.8m for the repair of the Range Rover after learning it was not in good condition.
Davido stated he covers living expenses, nanny fees, medical care, insurance, and international travel costs for their child. Despite these efforts, he claimed, “The respondent has continued to make outlandish and utopian demands to frustrate me.”
Listing more demands made by Momodu, Davido said, “The respondent is demanding that I pay the nanny she hired $800 per month, totaling $19,600 per annum as a lump sum.”Davido expressed that despite his contributions, “The respondent has continued to show me unwarranted cruelty, inflicting so much pain on me.”
The relationship between Davido and Sophia has often been contentious. In 2021, Sophia shared her distress on Instagram about their daughter, Imade, taking Davido’s last name instead of hers. She wrote, “I remember my mom and aunties laughing at me when I was crying because my daughter’s last name wasn’t going to be Momodu. I was genuinely distraught.”
Sophia added that her mother helped her understand that Imade bearing her father’s name would benefit her through her father’s lineage and inheritance. “It made me shut up real quick, but I lowkey had so many questions,” she concluded.
