Having to go through checks and barricades before he can see his daughter, Imade Adeleke is no longer a thing that pop singer Davido wants to put up with, hence an application before a judge to grant him unfettered and unrestricted access in the future.

A suit filed at the Lagos State High Court around mid-April is asking for joint custody with Ms Sophia Momodu with whom he fathered the nine-year-old child.

The demand started to become a matter of urgent importance following unfriendly interactions with the baby mama despite several efforts the musician had been making to ensure cordial interactions with the mum.

Davido, according to the court documents titled LD/1587PMC/2024 that was reportedly filed by his counsels, Dr Olaniyi Arije and Okey Barrah, had been a willing and able financial provider for his child; nonetheless, he finds himself somewhat restricted when trying to be part of his daughter’s life, therefore the pain that comes with it.

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In the suit, which captures a 44-page affidavit, it reads that it is on record that I have been responsible for the payment of all the school fees of my daughter to provide her with the best education possible and to meet all her educational needs without a hitch.

Added to this is an account stating that Davido also provided the finance needed for his daughter’s shelter, which Ms Momodu ultimately benefits from.

Both mother and daughter live in a rented apartment in the Victoria Island area of Lagos State although the singer made room for a residence with a ₦200m value, which got thrown back at his face by the mum.

The Victoria Island crib that Davido proposed for his daughter was bought by him and is reportedly located in a secure environment with swimming facilities and also one that had constant electricity as well as water supply.

But all these gestures weren’t accepted by Ms Momodu, opting instead for the singer to pay ₦5,000,000 annually for a rented facility as my own contribution towards my daughter’s accommodation.

A father who loves his daughter would want her to have the best mobility. To ensure this, according to Davido: 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.

Soon, the SUV developed a fault without the singer knowing about it, says the court record. Yet the singer didn’t relent.

When the information got to him after much strain, I provided another vehicle, [a] Highlander SUV, and in addition, the sum of ₦5.8m 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.

According to Davido, to further ensure that the interest of their child was adequately taken care of, I also made commitments to pay for living expenses, the fees of the nanny to our child, provide medical and health care, insurance, periodic international travel expenses and tickets.

Following the birth of Imade Adeleke on 14 May 2015, the parents resolved to take care of our child as biological father and mother but based on the recent court application, the pact has been under threat and so the reason why Davido wants joint custody.

A text in the suit filed reads that notwithstanding my efforts in the overall interest of my daughter, the respondent has continued to show me unwarranted cruelty, inflicting so much pain on me.

It has mostly been animosity and a burning rift between Davido and Sophia Momodu, his baby mama as far back as 2016 when their daughter was still newly born and had suffered health challenges because of her mum’s reckless lifestyle.

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Now, his attention romantically is focused on Chioma Rowland with whom he has welcomed twin births. This was after the partners lost their first child Ifeanyi to a swimming pool drowning.

While announcing the news about the latest twins during a media chat in the United States last October, Davido said welcoming twins felt supernatural, judging by the experience of a devastating loss a year prior.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.