Davido and 4 other Nigerian celebrities who have opened up about child custody battles Behind the fame, glitz, and glam that we see on our screens, some celebrities have faced deeply personal battles, including struggles over child custody.
These celebrities, known for their talent and charisma, have also shared their heart-wrenching side of legal disputes and emotional turmoil in the pursuit of parenting rights.
Here’s a closer look at five Nigerian celebrities who have bravely opened up about their experiences with child custody battles.
1. Davido
Nigerian singer Davido has recently made headlines because of his ongoing child custody dispute with the mother of his first child, Sophia Momodu. He has been fighting for joint custody of his daughter, Imade, stressing that he has fulfilled his fatherly responsibilities over the years.
Sophia alleged that the singer has refrained from fulfilling his financial obligations to his daughter, leaving her to solely shoulder expenses including rent, living and travel costs, healthcare, and all other related expenses.
Following their court appearance on July 5, 2024, Davido addressed the custody battle in an emotional series of posts on Instagram and told Sophia that she could keep Imade; however, the case is still in court.
2. Queen Mercy Atang
Big Brother Naija star Queen Mercy and the father of her child, Lord Lamba, also got into a child custody dispute, which ended up in court.
A petition dated February 16, 2024, circulated online at the beginning of March. The petition was addressed to the Family Court of Lagos State in Ikeja, and in it, Lord Lamba requested full custody of their daughter on claims that he was denied access to Keilah despite consistently paying child support.
However, on May 23, 2024, a magistrate court in Lagos adjourned the child custody proceedings between Queen Mercy and Lord Lamba to July 18, 2024, due to Lord Lamba’s absence at court that day.
3. Buchi Comedian
Nigerian comedian Buchi was also open about his custody battle with his former in-laws in November 2023. In a series of Instagram posts, he repeatedly called out his ex-wife, Rukky’s parents, for allegedly denying him access to see his children, who were in their custody in the United States of America.
He also added that he could only speak to his children when his estranged in-laws placed the calls. Buchi had also alleged that he was blocked after each call to prevent him from calling back. He claimed that they asked him to pay $300,000 a month in child support, money that he said was paid, but in return, he still didn’t get access to his children.
The following month, he happily announced that he had been granted access to his children.
4.Do2dtun
Popular media personality Oladotun Kayode, fondly known as Do2dtun, has also been caught in the web of a messy child custody battle.
In October 2023, he alleged that his ex-wife, Taiwo, refused to grant him access to their daughters, even though they had agreed on a joint custody agreement. He then stressed that he would fight back against her and her brother, Dbanj. Taking to his Instagram page, he dragged the singer again, claiming that he aided Taiwo in keeping their children from him.
In response, Taiwo posted to her Instagram, attesting that the OAP was lying, knew where his children were, and had access to them.
5. Tonto Dikeh
In 2017, Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh was involved in a messy separation from her husband, Oladunni Churchill, and he alleged that she had kept their son away from him.
In an Instagram post, Churchill stressed that he was trying to get “exclusive access” to their son, King Andre. He wrote in part, “Daddy is still trying hard to get exclusive access to you, but hopefully, very soon, things will be okay.”
In 2019, the court ruled in Tonto Dikeh’s favour and granted her full custody of their son; however, in 2023, Churchill called her out again and renewed the battle for custody of their child. He claimed he had always made efforts to reunite with his son, but Tonto would not give him the opportunity, but she refuted his claims.
