Read what Dele Momodu said about Davido, Sophia and Imade

OF DAVIDO, SOPHIA AND IMADE

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;

he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid;

do not be discouraged.”

• Deuteronomy 31: 8

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

• Isaiah 1: 17

“Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do

and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.”

• Exodus 22: 22-23

These were the Biblical words that flooded to me as the devil tried its best to destroy a relationship of nearly 25 years. There is nothing more devastating than when communication breaks down between very intimate friends, especially male and female. The once chummy relationship becomes dangerously affected and they rapidly metamorphose into sworn enemies. This is why some marriages collapse within months of consecration.

The matter is usually much worse when children are born out of wedlock and there is no legal union between parents. No matter how lovey-dovey they were, once upon a time, the enmity grows at the speed of light. Families often become the biggest casualties as emotions freely run riot. The devil is an expert in the use of hearsay. Hearsay upon hearsay builds mutual distrust and mistrust. Sorry if I’m speaking in tongues and in parables. This is the best way I can describe the conflagration that engulfed the Momodus and the Adelekes which exploded globally on December 29, 2015, and raged all the way to January 7, 2016, when reason finally prevailed on both sides.

It was not an easy battle. It was a sad war. But I believe it was ordained to teach us fresh lessons about life and make us appreciate ourselves more and show the world that friends would always be friends no matter how daunting the challenges we confront. We thank God for good people. We are very blessed with those who intervened positively and ensured that we eventually sat down to talk. It reminded me of that popular advert by British Telecom: It is good to talk. But there are times when talking become impossible because the tongue and the mouth are quarreling.

Outsiders would never understand what went terribly wrong and how God miraculously brought everyone back from the precipice of the abyss. Let the saints say they’ve never been angry. Even Jesus Christ cursed a tree in anger. The tongue is powerful. Nations have gone to war in anger and still returned to the negotiation table. That is the beauty of being able to bury your differences after a self-immolating fight.

Many thanks to our father-figure, Professor Dayo Alao, for ultimately leading the peace initiative. We thank The Timi of Ede Oba Muniru Adesola Lawal Laminisa 1, Oba Adedokun Abolarin Aroyinkeye 1 The Orangun of Oke-Ila, Mr Wale Adeeyo, Mr Ademola Adeleke, Mrs Iyabo Ajibola-Momodu, Sophie Momodu, Mrs Mobolaji Momodu, Mr Dele Adeleke, Prince Adedamola Aderemi, Mr Gbolaga Ajayi, Dr Doyinsola Hamidat Abiola, Mr Femi Otedola, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Mr David Adeleke (aka Davido), The Emirate Airlines and all the government agencies that helped in the resolution process. Specially the Immigration services at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) Lagos Zone deserve our commendation and gratitude.

My star in the whole saga is Dr Adedeji Adeleke for maintaining a cool mien and being reasonable despite great heat and discomfort. But the heroine and only winner is baby Imade Aurora Adeleke. To God be the full glory.