Nigerian music star David Adeleke, known professionally as Davido, has withdrawn his joint custody case for his daughter Imade after a contentious court hearing Thursday where his late son was referenced during proceedings.
The Afrobeats artist appeared in the High Court at Yaba, Lagos, for a scheduled hearing on his lawsuit seeking joint custody of nine year old Imade, whom he shares with Sophia Momodu. Court proceedings were reportedly disrupted when Momodu’s lawyer questioned how Davido could guarantee Imade’s safety given his son Ifeanyi’s drowning death in October 2022.
The singer reportedly confronted the lawyer inside the courtroom following the comment. The judge halted proceedings temporarily and upon reconvening requested that Davido apologize to the court and the lawyer, which the artist refused, according to multiple reports.
Davido announced late Friday through social media posts that he was dropping the case. He clarified that he never sought full custody but only joint custody arrangements for his daughter.
Nobody won, nobody lost but Imade, the singer wrote on X. He stated his decision to withdraw followed what he described as the lawyer’s lowest blow in mentioning his deceased son during cross examination.
The artist criticized Ebelechukwu Egeonu Enedah, Momodu’s lawyer, accusing her of unprofessional conduct. He expressed hope that she would never experience the loss he and his wife Chioma endured when Ifeanyi drowned at their Banana Island residence in Lagos.
Davido filed the lawsuit in April 2024 demanding joint custody and unrestricted access to Imade, claiming Momodu denied him contact and extorted money. The case marked LD/1587PMC/2024 at Lagos State High Court included a 44 paragraph affidavit detailing financial support provided for their daughter.
Momodu opposed the joint custody bid through a counter affidavit citing Ifeanyi’s death as evidence the singer could not provide a safe environment. She accused Davido of being an absentee father who prioritized his career and lifestyle over parenting responsibilities.
The custody dispute played out publicly over several months with family members weighing in. Dele Momodu, Sophia’s uncle and publisher of Ovation magazine, confirmed Davido’s father Deji Adeleke cleared outstanding school fees and provided a vehicle for Imade after discussions about the child’s welfare.
The couple’s relationship ended years ago though Imade was born May 14, 2015. Davido and Imade reunited last year for her 10th birthday party, marking their first meeting in three years according to the singer’s social media posts at the time.
Ifeanyi Adeleke died October 31, 2022, after drowning in the swimming pool at the family’s Banana Island home while his parents attended a gathering in Ibadan. The three year old was pronounced dead at Evercare Hospital in Lekki. Multiple domestic staff were questioned by Lagos police following the tragedy.
Davido took a months long break from public appearances and social media after his son’s death. He returned in March 2023 with his fourth studio album Timeless, describing the period as allowing time to grieve and heal.
The singer has since married Chioma and the couple welcomed twins. Davido reflected in recent interviews that losing Ifeanyi changed his life and gave him deeper perspective on resilience and purpose.
Custody cases involving Nigerian entertainment figures rarely reach public courtrooms. The high profile nature of this dispute attracted significant attention across social media platforms where supporters of both parents debated parenting responsibilities and co parenting challenges.
Davido concluded his social media posts Friday by stating Imade would grow up knowing he fought for her and urged everyone to move forward from the legal battle.
Read his post below
