The custody dispute between the singer David and the mother of his baby, Sophia, has witnessed a new development; Nigerian journalist Dele Momodu gives his perspective on the ongoing legal battle.
Mr Momodu, Sophia's uncle, urged both parties to seek an amicable solution in an Instagram post on Saturday afternoon.
The legal battle for custody of their only daughter Imade is already underway and both parties are presenting their arguments in court.
On April 17, 2024, Davido, joint custody requested and unrestricted access to his nine-year-old daughter, thereby reaffirming his commitment to her care and support.
Sophia replied through a statement from her legal representatives stating that she had merely “denied” her estranged lover access to her “body, not to their daughter”.
Sophia
On Friday, Imade's mother opposed the singer's application, citing concerns about Davido's lifestyle and past incidents which she said made him “unfit for custody”.
In her 102-paragraph counter-statement, Sophia detailed why the singer should not be granted joint custody, citing his frequent travels, the influence of “shady characters” around him and his recent marriage to “another woman,” Chioma Rowland, among other reasons.
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The affidavit also highlighted incidents in which Davido allegedly “failed to meet his financial obligations” and provided evidence of her role as the primary caregiver for their daughter.
Statement by Dele Momodus
Mr Momodu described his discussions with Davido and Sophia regarding custody.
The journalist expressed surprise at Davido’s court filing, noting that the singer did not mention custody issues during a recent video call with him (Davido) and Pastor Tobi Adegboyega.
AARE DR DELE MOMODU on Instagram: “MY CANdid OPINION ON DAVID ADELEKE vs. SOPHIA MOMODU By DELE MOMODU Last night, I received a disturbing message from Mr. David Adeleke (aka Davido). He was obviously devastated by the counter affidavit he filed in court earlier in the day, in response to his affidavit demanding joint custody of his daughter with my niece, Sophia Momodu. I had seen David's affidavit about two weeks ago and was very surprised since David and I had spoken on a video call days before, with him and Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, and he had never told me that he had custody issues with my niece. So you can imagine my confusion when I learned through social media, and subsequently had it confirmed by my niece, that he had filed a suit in court demanding joint custody of her daughter. During the aforementioned video call, we were all very excited about his upcoming wedding ceremony, an event that our family congratulated him on. Before that, David had told me that he had finally spoken to their daughter…
instagram.com
“Last night I received a disturbing message from Mr David Adeleke (Davido). He was devastated by the counter affidavit filed in court earlier in the day,” Mr Momodu wrote.
During the video call, the CEO of Ovation International said they were excited about Davido’s recent wedding to Chioma and there was no indication of any custody issues.
“Our family congratulated him on this event. David had previously told me that he had finally spoken to their daughter again after a long break of about two years.
“He was happy and excited. So I thought everything was sorted and he and Sophia now had the opportunity to take the best care of their daughter. I would especially like to thank David's father, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, for his kindness and support for our daughter during David's absence.
“I had also taken Sophia and her daughter to my dear friend, Governor Ademola Adeleke, and asked him to intervene. To my knowledge, there was never any problem with 'joint custody'.”
Mr Momodu detailed his efforts to mediate between the parties, which included discussions with Davido's father, Adedeji Adeleke, his uncle, Ademola Adeleke, and Sophia's attempts to create a stable environment for Imade.
He also highlighted issues such as “non-payment of school fees, accommodation and nanny salaries” which were resolved with the help of Davido’s father.
“David’s father verbally offered me one of their family apartments in Oniru Estate, Victoria Island during discussions. However, due to misunderstandings, David’s lawyers may have communicated otherwise,” Mr Momodu explained.
He explained that Sophia turned down the offer because she felt uncomfortable living near Davido's family as they were “unmarried”.
Sophia's worries
Sophia had particular concerns about the environment Davido provided for her daughter.
“Sophia demanded that David pay half of the accommodation and she pay the other half. David said he could only contribute 5 million naira annually,” Momodu explained.
This financial agreement was one of the points of contention in their dispute.
Mr Momodu highlighted the impact of Davido and Sophia’s strained relationship on their daughter.
“The lack of camaraderie between David and Sophia has caused this debacle. I have repeatedly stressed that their daughter must not suffer or be treated like a second-class child,” he stressed, underlining the importance of “Imade's well-being given Davido's global status.”
Call for an amicable solution
Mr Momodu also stressed the importance of resolving the custody dispute amicably for the benefit of Imade.
“Sophia allowed David access to her daughter provided her nanny was available 24/7. The nine-year-old made this request and I believe it should be considered and accepted with sympathy,” Momodu wrote.
“The court yesterday referred the case to the court's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Division for possible settlement during settlement week,” he said.
Mr Momodu also advised Davido and Sophia to seriously engage in the ADR process and avoid making hurtful statements on social media.
ALSO READ: What I want from Sophia Momodu Davido
“I urge David (and Sophia) to seriously engage in the process rather than making damaging and irrevocable statements on social media that violate the law and the interests of their child,” he urged.
In conclusion, Mr Momodu reiterated his determination to ensure a peaceful resolution of the dispute and the welfare of his grandniece. He said that he had tried his best over the past nine years to achieve an amicable resolution of the dispute and to encourage both parents.
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