Davido sues Sophia Momodu for Imade’s custody

• Published On: 20 June 2024 at 13:43

The mother of David Adeleke's first child, Imade, Sophia Momodu, has been sued by the multi-award-winning musician David Adeleke, better known by his stage name Davido, to get custody of their daughter.

Davido requests "an order granting joint custody of Miss Imade Adeleke to the applicant" in an initial motion that was submitted to the Lagos State High Court on April 17, 2024 by his attorneys, Dr. Olaniyi Arije, Okey Barrah, and others.

Alternatively, the singer asked for "an order granting to the applicant unfettered and unrestricted access to Miss Imade" from the court by praying.

Mr. David Adedeji Adeleke is identified as the applicant in the lawsuit, which is numbered LD/1587PMC/2024, while Ms. Sophia Momodu is listed as the only respondent.



Despite his relationship with Momodu, which resulted in the birth of their child on May 14, 2015, he explained that the two of them had broken up a few years prior "while we resolved to take care of our child as biological father and mother."

Davido declared, "It is official that I have been in charge of paying my daughter's tuition in order to give her the greatest education possible and to effortlessly meet all of her scholastic needs.


"That I have additionally been giving money to cover the respondent's and our daughter's flat rent."

The artist claimed that because of his love for Imade, he spent N200 million on an apartment in a gated community of condominiums in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, which included a swimming pool, round-the-clock power and water supply, and a swimming area. He made this offer to the mother. He said that an offer was rejected.

He stated, "The respondent insisted that I continue to pay N5,000,000 annually for a rented facility as my own contribution towards my daughter's accommodation, despite my having already purchased the above-described secured Oniru flat."

"I bought a Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle for the use of the child and the respondent to meet the transport needs, including transportation of the child to and from school, etc." declared Davido in order to ensure that the interests of Imade were well-catered for.

He continued by saying that at some point last year, Momodu called him after learning that Imade had not been in for two weeks at her daughter's school. "She started to make excuses and complained that the Range Rover SUV was not in a good condition, however, she refused to inform me about that," he said in response to Momodu's question.

The respondent and their daughter now have two vehicles under their custody and use, he continued. "That sequel to the information about the said condition of the vehicle, I provided another vehicle, the Highlander SUV, and in addition, the sum of N5.8m as requested by her for the repair of the Range Rover SUV."

Davido claims that in order to further guarantee that their child's interests were suitably met, "I also made commitments to pay for living expenses, the fees of the nanny to our child, provide medical and health care, insurance, and tickets for our periodic international travel."


The singer went on, "That despite my efforts in my daughter's best interest overall, the respondent has continued to make absurd and utopian demands to irritate me."

He stated, "The respondent, among others, is demanding that I should pay the nanny she hired the sum of $800 per month, and that the total sum of $19,600 per annum be paid as a lump sum." He went on to list the other requests purportedly made by Momodu.

Davido asserted that "the respondent has continued to show me unwarranted cruelty, inflicting so much pain on me," despite his efforts to ensure a better life for their daughter.

Sophia and Davido have frequently disagreed.

When their daughter Imade adopted Davido's last name rather than her own, Sophia disclosed in 2021 that it hurt her.

Momodu made this revelation on her Instagram Story in response to a post regarding kids named after their moms.

She claimed that the reason she sobbed so hard was because her daughter was unable to use her last name, "Momodu."

"My mum and aunties laughed at me when I was crying because my daughter's last name wasn't going to be Momodu," the writer recalled.

"I was truly inconsolable. I was even fighting with them about how they had written her father's entire name instead of a single letter from me.

She went on to say that in order for her to benefit from her father's ancestry and inheritance, Imade needed take on her father's name, as her mother had taught her.

"It made me shut up real quick, but I secretly had so many questions," the woman continued.