Afrobeats superstar Davido has announced his decision to withdraw the ongoing custody case involving his daughter, Imade Adeleke, whom he shares with Sophia Momodu. He clarified that his intention was never to seek full custody, but rather to establish a joint custody arrangement.
Davido and Sophia began dating in 2015 and welcomed Imade on May 14 of that year. In 2024, Davido filed a motion at the Lagos High Court, requesting unrestricted access to his daughter.
Sophia, in response to the lawsuit, stated that she has never denied Davido access to Imade.
On Friday, Davido addressed the public narrative surrounding the case through a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) account, reiterating that he only sought joint custody. He questioned why some people were celebrating the outcome of a recent court session, emphasizing that there was no winner in the situation.
I never asked for full custody… I asked for joint custody, he wrote. Nobody won, nobody lost… so I don’t know why some people are celebrating… there’s nothing to celebrate.
Davido explained that his decision to drop the case came after an incident in court that he found deeply inappropriate. While he remained confident in his legal arguments, he described a painful turn in the proceedings when the opposing counsel referenced his late son.
I’ve decided to drop the case because when I was spanking that lawyer in the courtroom… she would get so frustrated… until she brought out her last card — my deceased son. That’s a no no! Lowest blow! he revealed.
Davido and his wife, Chioma Adeleke, welcomed twins in October 2023 in the United States, a year after the passing of their first child, Ifeanyi Adeleke.
In his posts, Davido added that, despite ending the legal fight, he hopes Imade will one day understand that he fought for her. My daughter will grow up knowing I fought for her… let’s move on. One love, he concluded.
In 2023, Sophia announced her intention to change Imade’s surname to hers, claiming she has played the role of both mother and father to their daughter.
