Culture

Davido sues baby mama for child custody

Published

7 days ago

June 20, 2024

Nigeria’s Afrobeats sensation, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has dragged one of his baby-mamas, Sophia Momodu, the mother of his first child, Imade, to court, seeking custody of their daughter.

In the suit marked LD/1587PMC/2024, filed at the Lagos State High Court on his behalf by his lawyers, Dr Olaniyi Arije and Okey Barrah, the multiple award winner is seeking, among other prayers for an order granting joint custody of the child.

In the alternative, the singer prayed to the court for “an order granting to the applicant unfettered and unrestricted access to Miss Imade.”

The originating motion was supported by a 44-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Davido himself.

Davido narrated that though he had a relationship with Momodu that led to the birth of their child 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.”

“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,” the “Unavoidable” singer said.

Continuing, the summons said:

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

He added that as a result of the love he had for Imade, he purchased and offered the mother a N200m worth apartment in a condominium gated community with a swimming pool and 24-hour power and water supply at Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos. An offer he claimed was turned down.

“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.”

He however, stated that sometime last year, he received a call from her daughter’s school that Imade had been absent for two weeks, and upon his inquiry from Momodu, “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.”

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

Davido also listed other demands allegedly made by Momodu.

“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.”

He further claimed 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.”

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Culture

‘Don’t depend on men for your success’, Funke Akindele advises African women

Published

22 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nollywood actress and producer, Funke Akindele, has advised women not to depend on men for their success.

Akindele, a renowned filmmaker and politician, who made the call in an interview, urged women to be enterprising and self-reliant.

The thespian who is fondly called “Jennifa”, emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship for women regardless of their circumstances.

In her words, women should develop entrepreneurial skills and the potential to achieve financial independence.

“Who says women can’t make money?” she asked.

“You don’t have to rely on a man to make it.”

She also advised young women to “stay content and focused on their goals, rather than envying others and living beyond their means.”

“Whatever you have, just start something. Move. Don’t wait for the big opportunity. Even if it’s petty business, just start something.

Sharing her journey to success, Akindele said:

“I used to buy my handbags from ‘bend down select.’ I would wash and iron them and slay with them. Even with the cheap bags, I still felt good. Just believe in yourself.

“Content that would drive you crazy, people that would say things that would upset you, toxic people—avoid them. Because you’re growing in a new space. It’s what you feed yourself with that matters,” she added.

Culture

Malian singer Rokia Traoré detained in Italy over child custody row

Published

2 days ago

June 25, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Malian singer and guitarist, Rokia Traoré, has been arrested and detained in Italy over an outstanding two-year prison sentence in Belgium in a child custody dispute, prosectors in Brussels have confirmed.

Traoré was reportedly arrested on Sunday after she was sentenced in absentia last October on charges of parental abduction, after fleeing France in 2020 when she was due to be handed over to Belgian authorities.

Italian media reports on Tuesday that the award-winning musician was arrested at Fiumicino airport in Rome after she flew into the country for a concert.

“Ms Traore’s arrest in Italy follows a decision by the Brussels Criminal Court on October 18, 2023, which sentenced her in absentia to two years imprisonment for failing to hand over a child to the person entitled to custody,” prosecutors in Brussels told journalists.

Media reports say Traoré had been arrested in Paris in March 2020 on a European arrest warrant over a Belgian court ruling ordering her to return her daughter to the child’s Belgian father.

She was also said to have defied a ban on leaving France and flew home to Mali several months later, before she could be sent to Belgium.

“Ms Traoré was initially detained in France in 2020 on a Belgian arrest warrant after failing to heed a court order to hand over her child to her Belgian father,” a French news outlet said.

“Months after she was conditionally released, she flew out to Mali on a private flight, defying a ban from leaving France until her extradition to Belgium.

“Last October, Traoré was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison by a court in Belgium on charges of parental abduction for failing to hand over a child to the person entitled to custody.

“Her daughter, who is now aged nine years, has lived in Mali since turning four.

“A lawyer for the child’s father, Traoré’s former partner, reportedly said he had not had any contact with his daughter since then.

“When she was initially arrested in 2020, she had been travelling from Mali to Brussels intending to appeal against the custody ruling.

“Mali’s government then came out in support of the singer, saying that she had a diplomatic passport.”

Traoré who is one of Africa’s best known vocalists, has won several awards, including the BBC Award for World Music in 2004 and the 2009 World Music Album of the year in the Victoires de la Musique, the French equivalent of the Grammys.

She is also known for her advocacy work for refugees, becoming a goodwill ambassador for the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees in 2015 in West and Central Africa.