By Esther Agbo
In a heartfelt message shared via his official Instagram handle, Dele Momodu, the uncle of Sophia Momodu, mother of Nigerian singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido’s first daughter, Imade Adeleke, expressed his concerns and opinions regarding the ongoing custody dispute between Davido and his niece, Sophia Momodu.
Momodu recounted how he received a distressing message from Davido the previous night, revealing the singer’s devastation over a counter-affidavit submitted in court earlier that day. This counter-affidavit was in response to Davido’s request for joint custody of their daughter.
Momodu expressed his surprise at the legal action, as he had recently spoken with Davido via video call, during which no custody issues were mentioned.
He said, “I had seen David’s affidavit about two weeks ago and I was very surprised as David and I had spoken on a video call days earlier, with him and Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, and he never told me he had any custody issues with my niece.
“So you can imagine my confusion to find out via social media and subsequently confirmed by my niece that he had filed an action in court seeking joint custody of their daughter.
“During the referenced video call, we were all very excited about his forthcoming wedding ceremony, an event our family congratulated him about. Prior to this, David had told me he eventually spoke to their daughter, after a long lull of about two years.
“He was very happy and excited. So I thought everything was settled and he and Sophia would now have the opportunity of taking maximum care of their daughter. I had offered special thanks to David’s Dad, Dr Adedeji Adeleke, for his kindness and support for our daughter during the period of David’s absence.
“I had also taken Sophia and their daughter to my very dear friend, Governor Ademola Adeleke, seeking his intervention. To the best of my knowledge, there was never a problem of joint custody.”
Momodu highlighted the main issues at hand, which he said included non-payment of school fees and lack of accommodation. He however acknowledged that Dr. Adeleke, Davido’s dad had addressed many of these concerns, including clearing outstanding school fees and offering accommodation. However, Sophia was said to have declined the accommodation offer.
He noted that, “The issues were: non-payment of school fees for several sessions; non-payment of accommodation and salaries of a nanny. There was no car dedicated to David’s daughter. And so on. Mercifully, I mentioned all to Dr Adedeji Adeleke and he responded positively, like a true grandfather.
“On the issue of non-payment of school fees, David’s Dad cleared everything and also set up payments of future bills. He gave his grand daughter a car to take her to school. The remaining issue was on accommodation.
“David’s Dad verbally offered, in his discussions with me, one of their family apartments in Oniru Estate, Victoria Island, however, maybe due to miscommunication, David’s lawyers had communicated otherwise. After Sophia clarified from me, she politely declined the offer, and her reason was tenable in my view, because, since she’s not married to David, she can’t be comfortable living in a place swarming with David’s family members.
“She and her daughter had been living in Ikoyi before David and Sophia started their latest quarrels. Sophia’s request was that David should pay half of the accommodation while she would pay the other half. David said he could only contribute N5million annually.”
Momodu emphasized that the lack of camaraderie between Davido and Sophia was exacerbating the situation, urging both parties to prioritize their daughter’s well-being. He noted that Sophia had been cooperative in facilitating interactions between the child and Davido’s family, including playdates and visits.
“My opinion is that the absence of camaraderie between David and Sophia has caused this debacle. I have cautioned repeatedly that their daughter must not be allowed to suffer or be treated like a second class child. David’s global status makes this imperative.
“Sophia allowed David access to their daughter provided she has her nanny around 24/7. The 9-year old herself made this request and I believe this should be favorably considered and accepted. My grand niece had been released to go out with her cousins on several occasions.
“The Governor’s daughter, Nike, was at Sophia’s house with the Governor’s grandson last Christmas Day, despite the fact that there wasn’t ample notice & she still granted access.
“Two months ago, the Governor’s son, Sina Rambo, requested a play date between the kids & Sophia rented out a children’s place in Victoria Island for them to spend hours together. The only time she couldn’t join her father’s family was when her grandfather requested to go on vacation with her for three weeks last year, as the notice was too short, and Sophia had already paid for their own trips, due to lack of communication between the parents,” Momodu said.
The court has however referred the case to the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) section for possible settlement. Momodu advised both Davido and Sophia to engage genuinely with the ADR process rather than making harmful statements on social media, which only escalate tensions and harm the child involved.
He emphasized on his long-standing efforts to mediate the disputes and ensure a structured and sustainable arrangement for the welfare of his grand-niece. He stressed the importance of avoiding inflammatory rhetoric in the media, as it only adds to the trauma experienced by all parties, especially the child.