A new controversy has come up in the custody battle between Afrobeats star Davido and the mother of his daughter, Imade. Davido recently said he would step away from the case and shared some public comments that led the other side’s lawyers to respond officially.
Davido, whose real name is David Adeleke, said that he has stopped the legal process. He made it clear that he never wanted full custody of his daughter, just joint custody. He said that no one really won the case and called it a loss for the child.
I never wanted full custody. What I asked for was joint custody. No one really won or lost, but I made it… so I don’t get why some people are celebrating. He wrote on X that there’s nothing to celebrate.
The singer said he pulled out because there were mentions of his late son during the court case, and he found that really upsetting and not okay. He said he did what he did out of love and a sense of duty to his daughter, hoping that someday she would see why he tried so hard.
Davido took to Instagram to call out the opposing legal team, saying they acted unprofessionally and sharing his frustration with how things went in the courtroom.
The online comments came after social media posts from a Lagos-based lawyer who talked about some tense moments in the Lagos State High Court in Yaba, saying the case was about the custody of the singer’s daughter.
On February 16, 2026, the law firm representing Imade’s mother released a statement condemning what it called inflammatory remarks and harassment aimed at its partner. The firm pointed out that the issue is sub judice and will be decided only by the court, relying on the evidence and the law.
It made clear that it wouldn’t talk about the details of the case but pointed out that threatening or intimidating lawyers hurts the justice system. The firm urged the Nigerian Bar Association and legal professionals to speak out against anything that threatens their professional independence.
The custody dispute is still catching a lot of attention, and people are urging both sides to focus on working together peacefully for the sake of the kids despite everything going on.
