Entertainment

Davido Drags Sophia Momodu To Court Over His First Daughter’s Custody

Published

1 year ago

June 20, 2024

International award-winning singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has dragged Sophia Momodu, the mother of his first child, Imade, to court, seeking custody of the daughter.

In an originating motion filed by his lawyers, Dr Olaniyi Arije, Okey Barrah and others, at the Lagos State High Court, dated April 17, 2024, Davido is praying the court for “an order granting joint custody of Miss Imade Adeleke to the applicant.”

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

The suit, marked LD/1587PMC/2024, has as applicant Mr David Adedeji Adeleke, while Ms Sophia Momodu was listed as the sole respondent.

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

He 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.”

Davido said, “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.

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

The singer said 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.

He said, “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.”

Davido said to ensure that the interest of Imade was well-catered for, “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 added 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.”

He added, “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.”

According to Davido, to further ensure that the interest of their child was adequately taken care of, “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,” the singer added.

Listing the other demands allegedly made by Momodu, he said, “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 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.”

Davido and Sophia have often been at loggerheads.

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

Momodu revealed this via her Instagram Story when she reacted to a post about children bearing their mothers’ names.

According to her, she cried bitterly because her daughter could not bear her last name ‘Momodu’.

She wrote, “I remember my mom and aunties laughing at me when I was crying because my daughter’s last name wasn’t going to be Momodu.

“I was genuinely distraught. I was even arguing and everything, that they put her father’s full name and not a single letter from mine.”

She further revealed that her mother made her understand that Imade should bear her father’s name so that she could gain from her father’s lineage and inheritance.

She added, “It made me shut up real quick, but I lowkey had so many questions.”

Entertainment

Amy Winehouse’s Father Fues Her Friends For Auctioning Late Star’s Clothes

Published

20 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

The father of late British singer Amy Winehouse Tuesday defended his UK lawsuit against two of her friends after they sold some of her clothes at auction for around £730,000 ($970,000).

Mitch Winehouse told the High Court in London that Naomi Parry, the star’s former stylist, and her friend, Catriona Gourlay, did not have the right to sell dozens of items in auctions between November 2021 and May 2023.

Lawyer Henry Legge, acting for Winehouse, told the court on Monday, the first day of the trial, that the two women sold 150 objects which had belonged to Winehouse, including dresses which she wore on her last tour in June 2011.

The British singer-songwriter, who enjoyed meteoric global success, died a month later from alcohol poisoning, aged just 27.

Winehouse was a distinctive figure with her beehive hairdo, heavy black eye makeup, multiple tattoos and smoky voice.

She shot to international fame with her Grammy Award-winning 2006 album “Back to Black” which included the track “Rehab”, charting her battle with addiction.

According to court documents, Winehouse believed that any sums collected from the sales organised by Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions would be due to him.

The auctioneers had also been told that a third of the proceeds would be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation — a charity set up in the singer’s name working with young people to foster hope and self-reliance.

However, Winehouse’s team accused the women of failing to donate the share of proceeds to the foundation.

– ‘You’re wrong’ –

Ted Loveday, lawyer for Gourlay, said that most of the objects had been given or lent to the two women by the singer, even if there was no proof.

“If a 19-year-old gives a scarf or a pair of earrings to their friends, no one signs a contract,” he told the court on Monday, stressing the singer’s generosity.

Gourlay and Parry met Amy Winehouse in the early 2000s, before she shot to fame. Parry went on to create some of the singer’s most iconic looks — including the green bamboo dress worn on the June 2011 tour which sold at auction for $243, 200.

Beth Grossman, the lawyer for Parry, said the two “women are not thieves and they are not dishonest”.

She accused Winehouse of bringing the lawsuit against the women out of “petty jealousy”, which he strongly denied on Tuesday, saying “you’re wrong”.

Grossman also highlighted the financial differences between the multi-millionaire Mitch Winehouse and the two women who are “living pretty much hand to mouth”.

The hearing is set to last until Friday, with a judgement due at a later date.
(AFP)

Entertainment

FULL LIST: Shallipopi, Belove Olocha, Malumfoodie Win Big At TikTok Awards 2025

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2025

Editor

TikTok has announced the full list of winners for the 2025 TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigerian stars Shallipopi, Belove Olocha and South Africa’s Malumfoodie taking home some of the biggest honours of the night.

The ceremony held on December 6 in Johannesburg and attracted top creators, performers and industry figures from across the continent. The theme for this year’s event was New Era, New Icons.

The show featured performances from Ciza, Lord Kez, Thuli P, DJ Fif Laa and Thabsie. South African entertainer Bontle Modiselle Moloi hosted the event while Keegan Gordon and Zayaan Noorani handled the red carpet. Influencer Mihlali Ndamase made a surprise appearance to present the Video of the Year award. Olympian Akani Simbine also presented the Sport Creator of the Year category.

Brands including NIVEA, inDrive, Coca-Cola, PEP and Dis-Chem supported the awards.

TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba, said the platform is recognising creators who are shaping global conversations.

She said, “Tonight’s ceremony was a gathering of the trailblazers who have redefined what it means to be a creator in Africa. From Sokoto to Nairobi, and Accra to Pretoria, we honoured the creators who turned 60-second clips into cultural movements. We are honoured to celebrate them as they amplify their voices and take their stories from Africa to the world.”

The ceremony will be rebroadcast on December 11 at 20:00 SAST on TikTok LIVE through the @tiktok.africa account.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Creator of the Year
Raja’atu Muhammed Ibrahim @diaryofanortherncook (Nigeria)

Storyteller of the Year
Brian Nwana @briannwana (Nigeria)
He said, “Every single creator is a storyteller. We all tell stories that help drive the local communities, our cities, and our countries, and when we do that we change the perception that the world has about us”.

Video of the Year
Fanuel John Masamaki @zerobrainer0 (Tanzania)
He said, “I am truly grateful to my fans and the love I have received from Tanzanians. Thank you so much . This win was for all of us.”

Rising Star of the Year
@tunero_animations (Kenya)
Runner up: Esther Francis @estherfrancisbackup (Nigeria)

Social Impact Creator of the Year
Dejoke Ogunbiyi @noositiwantiwa_ (Nigeria)
Runner up: Sinethemba Masinga @ufarm_julia (South Africa)

Food Creator of the Year
@malumfoodie (South Africa)
He said, “From my humble beginnings of Haamanskraal, to Soshanguve and to all of South Africa, now we are in Africa!”

Runner up: Abena Amoakoaa Sintim Aboagye @chefabbys (Ghana)

Sports Creator of the Year
John Maingi Mbugua @zozasportscast (Kenya)
He said, “Winning isn’t the finish line, it’s fuel for the next chapter. Every piece of content, every discussion, every moment captured was driven by passion, and receiving this recognition means that passion is resonating far beyond my expectations.”

Runner up: Victor Ademola @ademolavictortv (Nigeria)

Entertainment Creator of the Year
Belove Olocha @beloveolocha (Nigeria)
Runner up: Jabulani Macdonald @jabu_macdonald (South Africa)

Education Creator of the Year
Izzi Boye @izziboye (Nigeria)
Runner up: @michelle_expert (South Africa)

Artiste of the Year
Crown Uzama @theycallmeshallipopipp (Nigeria)
He said, “Thank you, TikTok, for supporting all upcoming artists and giving them a spotlight to shine.”

Entertainment

TikTok Temporarily Restricts Late Night Live Feature In Nigeria

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2025

Editor

TikTok has restricted late-night LIVE access for Nigerian users, as the platform now blocks the feature during peak night hours.

The restriction started on Sunday at midnight when the app quietly shut down all LIVE activities across Nigeria, leaving accounts unable to host or even watch late night streams.

According to an in-app message sent to creators, TikTok wrote, “We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected.”

Many affected users shared that their screens showed a “No Access” label between 11pm and 5am, confirming that the shutdown was nationwide and not a technical glitch.

Reports showed that only creators with at least 1,000 followers received the notice, since they are the only ones allowed to host LIVE sessions on the platform.

Several of them confirmed that all LIVE activities stopped throughout the night, and no one could even view broadcasts from other countries during the restriction.

TikTok users who earn money through LIVE gifting said their balances were not touched, easing fears of sudden financial loss.

By Monday morning, LIVE access returned, but the whole situation triggered long conversations on social media as Nigerians questioned why the company picked late night hours, which usually record the highest traffic for match streams, entertainment shows and interactive trends.

TikTok’s latest move came a few weeks after the platform released fresh safety figures for West Africa at its Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal.

The company revealed that in the second quarter of 2025, it took action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 creators worldwide for breaking LIVE monetisation rules.

It also disclosed that Nigeria alone recorded 49,512 banned LIVE sessions within the same period.

TikTok added that it removed 3,780,426 Nigerian videos between April and June 2025 for violating Community Guidelines, noting that 98.7 percent were deleted before anyone viewed them, while 91.9 percent were taken down within 24 hours.

TikTok LIVE remains a popular feature among young users because it allows real time broadcasting, comments and gifting, unlike pre-recorded videos.

To go LIVE, a creator generally needs at least 1,000 followers, must be above 16 years to stream and above 18 years to earn money.