Popular Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, fondly called Davido, has filed a suit against Sophia Momodu, the mother of his first child, Imade, over the custody of the 9-year-old girl.

The suit was filed by Davido’s lawyers, Dr Olaniyi Arije, Okey Barrah, and others, at the Lagos State High Court.

The suit marked LD/1587PMC/2024 has Davido as the applicant and Sophia as the sole respondent.

The singer, in the suit dated April 17, 2024, prayed the court for “an order granting joint custody of Miss Imade Adeleke to the applicant”.

He also prayed the court for “an order granting to the applicant unfettered and unrestricted access to Miss Imade.”

Davido noted that though he had a relationship with Sophia that led to the birth of Imade on May 14, 2015, the relationship had ended some years ago “while we resolved to take care of our child as biological father and mother”.

The famous singer added: “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.

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“That I have also been providing money for the rent of the apartment where the respondent resides with our daughter.”

Davido stated that as a result of the love he had for Imade, he purchased and offered Sophia a N200 million worth apartment with a swimming pool and 24-hour power and water supply at Oniru in the Victoria Island area of Lagos.

He noted: “The respondent rejected the offer to stay and live at the above-described secured Oniru apartment, which had been purchased already, but demanded that I continue to pay N5,000,000 annually for a rented facility as my own 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.”

Davido further disclosed that in 2023, he received a call from her daughter’s school that Imade had been absent for two weeks, saying upon his inquiry from Sophia, “She began to make excuses and complained that the Range Rover SUV was not in a good condition, however, she refused to inform me about that.”

Davido: “That sequel to the information about the said condition of the vehicle, I provided another vehicle, Highlander SUV, and in addition, the sum of N5.8 million 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 fees of the nanny 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.”

Listing other demands allegedly made by Sophia, the singer stated: “The respondent, among others, is demanding that I should pay the nanny she hired the sum of $800 per month, and that the total sum of $19,600 per annum be paid as a lump sum.”

Davido added that despite his contribution towards ensuring a better life for their daughter, “the respondent has continued to show me unwarranted cruelty, inflicting so much pain on me”.

Davido and Sophia have often been at loggerheads.

In 2021, Sophia revealed that she was pained when Imade took Davido’s last name and not hers.

She said this via her Instagram Story, in reaction to a post about children bearing their mothers’ names.

Sophia added that she cried bitterly because her daughter could not bear her last name ‘Momodu’.

The Star