Dele Momodu sheds light on Davido’s custody battle with Sophia regarding their child.
The Publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, has shared his perspective on the legal dispute regarding child custody between his niece, Sophia Momodu, and the father of her child, David Adeleke, professionally known as Davido.In a series of posts via his verified X handle on Saturday,
Momodu expressed surprise at the Afrobeat singer’s filing of an affidavit
seeking joint custody of their child. He emphasized that their previous
discussions had solely centered around the singer’s wedding and reestablishing
a connection with his daughter.
He mentioned that Davido and his family have consistently
had access to the child. When he ceased paying for her school fees, the matter
was brought to the attention of his father, Deji Adeleke, who subsequently
settled all outstanding school fees and presented the child with a car.
Momodu wrote, “My candid opinion on David Adeleke vs Sophia
Momodu
“Last night, I received a distressing message from Mr David
Adeleke (aka Davido). He was obviously devastated by the counter-affidavit
submitted in court, earlier in the day, in response to his affidavit seeking a
joint custody of his daughter with my niece Sophia Momodu.
“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
on. 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 to take maximum care
of their daughter. I 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.”
The prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party
revealed that the primary source of conflict between his niece and Davido was
financial in nature, encompassing school fees, housing, and the compensation of
a nanny.
The crux of the matter lies In the settlement of
accommodation expenses. Sophia proposed a cost-sharing arrangement, suggesting
that Davido contribute half of the rental amount while she assumes
responsibility for the remaining half.
Momodu disclosed that the Afrobeat artist declined the offer
and stated that he would only be paying N5 million annually, which fell short
of her request.
He wrote, “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
granddaughter a car to take her to school. The remaining issue was
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 with 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.”
The seasoned journalist stated that Sophia permitted Davido
access to their daughter, on the condition that her nanny be present.
Additionally, Imade made a similar request.
Momodu stated that his niece did not initiate the custody
dispute. He further explained that the current situation is a result of the
lack of communication and amicable relationship between Davido and Ms. Sophia.
He said, “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 favourably 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 was 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 a lack of communication between the
parents.”
Consequently, Momodu strongly encouraged both parties to
prioritize their daughter’s welfare and reach a compromise regarding custody
and financial obligations. He emphasized the importance of avoiding public
disputes and inflammatory rhetoric in the media.
He added, “The court yesterday referred the case for
possible settlement by the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) section of the
court during Settlement Week, and I strongly advise that David (and Sophia)
engage truly with the process as opposed to making harmful and irreversible
statements on social media which not only violate the law but the interest of
their child. I have, in the past 9 years, tried my best to ensure amicable
resolution of disputes and encouraged both parents to have a proper structure
put in place for the welfare of their daughter.
“It is important to note that Sophia did not instigate this
court action and is only seeking to protect their daughter and ensure that
there is a structured, safe and sustainable manner in which father and child
can engage with each other.
“The vitriolic rhetoric in the media should be avoided by
all means, as this only further inflames what is already a traumatic experience
for all parties involved, especially the child in question.”