Sophia Momodu, the mother of Imade, daughter of musician David Adeleke, has petitioned the Lagos State High Court in Sabo, Yaba, to deny the singer custody of their child.
Momodu disclosed that Adeleke ceased financial support for their daughter when she refused to comply with his sexual demands.
In a counter-affidavit responding to Adeleke’s custody request, Momodu argued that he is unfit for custody due to his frequent absences and inability to provide proper care for their daughter.
Contrary to Adeleke’s claim of consistently meeting his financial obligations, Momodu informed the court that their daughter was nearly expelled from school because the musician did not pay her tuition fees.
She revealed that during their relationship, Adeleke never genuinely committed to or showed love for their daughter. Instead, he would only show interest when he wanted to use her for media appearances.
“He would condition his visits and fatherly affection on my availability for his sexual gratification,” she stated.
Momodu recounted an incident in 2017 when Adeleke threw her and their daughter out of his Atlanta home, leaving them to stay with a friend.
She clarified that she never restricted Adeleke’s access to his daughter; rather, it was he who chose to be an absentee father.
Momodu also highlighted that she had been responsible for their accommodation and that Adeleke’s visits often had ulterior motives.
“When I realized his late-night visits were not for our daughter but for his sexual desires, I asked him to stop. This led to him ceasing his visits and communication with our daughter, a pattern he has consistently followed,” she explained.
She continued, “Whenever I refused his advances, he would neglect his responsibilities and use our daughter’s distress over his absence to coerce me.”
Momodu asserted that contrary to Adeleke’s claims, he had defaulted on their daughter’s school fees in 2021 and 2022, and the school had threatened to bar her in January 2023 due to unpaid fees.
She added that it was Adeleke’s father who ultimately settled the outstanding school fees.
Momodu also refuted Adeleke’s claim of providing them with housing, stating that she had been the one paying the rent. She affirmed her commitment to providing the best care for her daughter despite her father’s negligence.