Dele Momodu Weighs in on Davido's Custody Battle with Sophia Momodu

 

Dele Momodu, the Publisher of Ovation magazine, has expressed his thoughts on the ongoing custody battle between his niece, Sophia Momodu, and popular Afrobeat singer, David Adeleke, better known as Davido.

In a series of posts on his verified X handle, Momodu revealed his surprise at Davido’s affidavit seeking joint custody of their child. He noted that their previous conversations had been focused on Davido's upcoming wedding and reconnecting with his daughter, not on custody issues.

Momodu stated, "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 joint custody of his daughter with my niece Sophia Momodu."

He explained that Davido and his family have always had access to the child. When Davido stopped paying her school fees, his father, Deji Adeleke, covered all the expenses and even provided the child with a car.

"I had seen David’s affidavit about two weeks ago, and I was very surprised. David and I had spoken on a video call days earlier with him and Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, and he never mentioned 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," Momodu wrote.

During the video call, Momodu mentioned that they were excited about Davido's forthcoming wedding, and there was no indication of any custody battle. He thanked Davido's father, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, for his support during Davido'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," Momodu added.

The PDP chieftain clarified that the main issues between Sophia and Davido were related to financial support, including school fees, accommodation, and the nanny's salary. Sophia had proposed that Davido pay half of the accommodation costs, which Davido refused, offering only N5 million per annum.

"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. Thankfully, I mentioned all to Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, and he responded positively. 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," Momodu explained.

Momodu added that Davido's father had verbally offered one of their family apartments in Oniru Estate, Victoria Island, but Sophia declined due to the potential discomfort of living near Davido's family members. She requested that Davido pay half of the accommodation, which he declined.

Momodu emphasized that Sophia has allowed Davido access to their daughter, provided the nanny is present, and that the lack of communication and friendship between Davido and Sophia has led to the current situation.

"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 favorably considered and accepted," Momodu concluded.

He urged that their daughter’s well-being should be prioritized and expressed hope for a resolution that would benefit all parties involved.