Amidst their legal custody battle, Sophia Momodu accuses the Afrobeat star, Davido, of abandoning their child, Imade Adeleke for the past two years. Momodu’s accusation was revealed in a response to a lawsuit filed against her by Afrobeats star Davido over the custody of their daughter. The statement, dated June 22, 2024, and issued by her legal representatives, Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors and Bimpe Ajegbomogun & Co, was exclusively obtained by Pulse Nigeria. It is worth noting that Davido had taken the mother of his first child to court, seeking unrestricted access to Miss Imade.
The motion, filed by the artist’s lawyers Dr. Olaniyi Arije, Okey Barrah, and others, was submitted to the Lagos State High Court on April 17, 2024. The suit, tagged LD/1587PMC/2024, listed David Adedeji Adeleke as the applicant and Momodu as the sole respondent. Davido claimed he has been fulfilling his paternal responsibilities to Imade, including paying her school fees, providing transportation, and securing accommodation. He stated that Sophia Momodu refused his offer to stay in a condominium apartment he bought in a gated community at Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, insisting he continue paying ?5 million annually for a rented facility as his contribution towards Imade’s accommodation.
Additionally, Davido mentioned purchasing vehicles for Imade’s transportation needs and claimed Sophia failed to inform him when one of the vehicles stopped working. Sophia Momod’s response to Davido’s lawsuit. Responding to the lawsuit, Sophia stated that Davido has not seen their daughter since July 2022 by his own choice, emphasizing that she has never denied him the opportunity to see Imade. She recounted that their relationship had two phases: from 2014-2017 and from 2020-2022. During these periods, Davido “provided financial support for their daughter, covering school fees, rent, and other living expenses, including the cars mentioned in the article.” However, since ending her relationship with the Grammy-nominated artist in 2022, Momodu claimed she has received several threats from Davido over her refusal to make herself available to him sexually.
The statement through her legal representatives reads partly;
“Sophia ended the relationship with David in July 2022. Since then, David has repeatedly threatened to make Sophia’s life miserable if she does not make herself available to him sexually.
“Sophia has never denied him the opportunity to see his daughter. He has not reached out on special occasions such as her birthday or Christmas for the past two years, which has left his daughter distressed and questioning why her father has cut contact with her. Despite this, David posts images of her on social media to falsely portray himself as a supportive and active father.
“Since July 2022, David has not fulfilled his financial responsibilities towards their daughter, leaving her school fees unpaid. Their daughter’s school has contacted him multiple times regarding the fees for the 2021/2022 school term and January 2023, with no response.
“Legal counsel was sought in February 2023, resulting in David’s father, Mr Adedeji Adeleke, eventually paying the outstanding fees. Regardless of this neglect Sophia strongly maintains that the most important support David can provide to their daughter is his presence and emotional support.
“David is in a publicly known relationship, and Sophia wishes him well. She seeks to move forward in her life free from harassment and verbal abuse.”
