Davido sues Sophia Momodu, seeks joint custody of Imade

Davido has sued his baby mama, Sophia Momodu, at the Lagos State High Court to seek custody of their daughter, Imade.

Davido welcomed Imade, his first daughter, with Ms Momodu, a niece of famous journalist, Dele Momodu, in May 2015.

In its Thursday report, Punch newspaper said Davido’s lawyers, Olaniyi Arije, Okey Barrah, and others, filed the lawsuit on 17 April 2024.

The 31-year-old singer requested the court grant joint custody of the nine-year-old and an order of unrestricted access to his daughter (Imade).

In the suit marked LD/1587PMC/2024, Davido acknowledged his past relationship with Ms Momodu, which produced Imade but ended years ago.

The ‘Timeless’ hitmaker noted in the suit, which lists Ms Momodu as the sole respondent, that they agreed to care for their daughter as biological parents.

The originating motion is supported by a 44-paragraph affidavit deposed by Davido himself.

“It is on record that I have been responsible for paying all the school fees for my daughter to provide her with the best education possible and to meet all her educational needs without a hitch. I have also been providing money for the rent of the apartment where the respondent resides with our daughter,” Davido said.

Allegations

The Grammy-nominated singer claimed that the 37-year-old rejected a N200 million apartment in a gated community with a swimming pool and 24-hour power and water supply in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, which he had purchased for the proper care of Imade.

He said, “The respondent rejected the offer to stay and live at the above-described secured Oniru apartment, which had already been purchased, but demanded that I continue to pay N5,000,000 annually for a rented facility as my contribution towards my daughter’s accommodation.

“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.”

The singer said that in 2023, his daughter’s school informed him of her two-week absence. When he asked Ms Momodu about it, she said the Range Rover SUV was faulty.

However, he noted that she only informed him of the issue after the school contacted him.

“That sequel to the information about the said condition of the vehicle, I provided another vehicle, Highlander SUV, and in addition, the sum of N5.8m as requested by her for the repair of the Range Rover SUV, making it two vehicles in the custody and use of the respondent and our daughter.”

“I also made commitments to pay for living expenses, the nanny’s fees to our child, provide medical and health care, insurance, periodic international travel expenses, and tickets. That notwithstanding my efforts in the overall interest of my daughter, the respondent has continued to make outlandish and Utopian demands to frustrate me,” the singer added.

The ‘Unavailable’ crooner claimed that Imade’s mother demanded he pay the nanny she hired $800 monthly, totalling $19,600 per year, as a lump sum.

He alleged that despite his efforts to ensure a better life for their daughter, Ms Momodu continued to treat him with unwarranted cruelty and caused him significant pain.

Background

In June 2024, Ms Sophia hinted on Snapchat that she might change her daughter’s surname to her own (Momodu), citing her role as both father and mother to Imade.

The posts read: “I can’t wait to change her last name. I still think Momodu is perfect, as I’m both Mom and Dad.”

However, in 2021, the entrepreneur posted on her Instagram page that she was hurt when her daughter took Davido’s last name instead of hers.

She wrote, “I remember my Mom and aunties laughing at me when I was crying because my daughter’s last name wasn’t going to be Momodu.

“I was genuinely distraught. I even argued that they put her father’s full name and not a letter from mine. Pulled out my feminist card and everything; it pained me that year.”