In the midst of their ongoing legal custody battle, Sophia Momodu has accused Afrobeat star Davido of neglecting their daughter, Imade Adeleke, for the past two years.
Momodu’s accusations emerged in response to a lawsuit Davido filed against her over custody issues.
The statement, dated June 22, 2024, and released by her legal teams, Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors and Bimpe Ajegbomogun & Co, was exclusively obtained by Pulse Nigeria.
Filed by Davido’s lawyers Dr. Olaniyi Arije, Okey Barrah, and others, the motion was submitted to the Lagos State High Court on April 17, 2024.
The case, LD/1587PMC/2024, lists David Adedeji Adeleke as the applicant and Sophia Momodu as the respondent.
Davido asserts he has consistently met his paternal duties, including paying Imade’s school fees, providing transportation, and securing accommodation.
He noted that Sophia refused his offer to stay in a condominium he purchased in a gated community at Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, and instead insisted he continue paying ₦5 million annually for a rented residence as his contribution towards Imade’s housing.
Davido also claimed he bought vehicles for Imade’s transportation and that Sophia failed to inform him when one of the vehicles broke down.
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.”