The yoruba adage says

Iyawo ole ni a le gba, enikan o le gba aya ole.

(It is only the wife of a "lazy" man that one can collect, no one dares take his child)

The man should fight for his child, the daughter will appreciate him for life. If he let go of the child now, it might break the spirit of the daughter. This will pass a subtle message to the daughter that "she is not worth fighting for".

Dele go get your daughter.

Thanks for sharing sir.