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Woman Pleas Court Not To Grant Ex-Minister Turaki’s Prayer On A DNA Test Result.
A woman, Hadiza Baffa, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja not to grant the prayers sought by Mr Kabiru Turaki, former Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Minister, in his fresh suit on a DNA test result to determine the paternity of her child.
She further says Turaki’s claim that the DNA test paternity result was procured in violation of his fundamental human rights, was untrue.
Hadiza said by her knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was with every sense of humility against the parties involved.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had issued an injunction preventing the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) from submitting a DNA test result against the forrmer minister.
Turaki filed an ex-parte motion (marked FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025) against the NPF, the I-G, DCP Oyintare, and Hadiza Baffa as respondents.
In his motion filed on February 13 (dated February 11), Turaki sought an interim injunction to prevent the respondents from presenting or using the DNA paternity test result obtained from DNA Labs Limited or any other laboratory on November 5, 2024, or any subsequent dates.
Turaki’s motion included 13 points arguing why the request should be granted.
He alleged that Hadiza had submitted multiple petitions to the first to third respondents regarding the subject of the case, and these petitions were consolidated by Turaki in September 2024.
Turaki claimed that on November 5, 2024, he was invited by DCP Oyintare and, despite his protests, was forced to provide a swab for a DNA test to determine the paternity of Hadiza’s child. He further claimed he was detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department’s facility for six hours before his sample was taken and he was allowed to leave.
Turaki argued that the DNA test result, obtained in violation of his rights, was planned to be used against him in a criminal charge in the Federal Capital Territory Magistrate Court, Abuja. He emphasized that without the court’s intervention, the respondents would use the disputed DNA test result, the validity of which is central to the ongoing legal dispute.
After M.L. Anthony, representing the NPF, the Inspector-General of Police, and Deputy Commissioner of Police Rita Oki Oyintare (the first to third respondents), requested more time to comply with an earlier court order, Justice Ekwo gave an injunction preventing the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) from submitting the DNA test result against the former minister.
Turaki’s attorney, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, informed Justice Ekwo that the police were preparing to use a DNA paternity test result obtained in violation of his client’s rights as part of a criminal charge against him in an Abuja Magistrate Court.
Justice Ekwo had ealier rejected an application from Turaki, which sought to prevent the police from using the DNA test result in a paternity case with Hadiza in a different court.
The judge ruled that Ibrahim could not seek the requested relief without hearing from the respondents, and instructed Turaki’s team to notify the respondents within two days and directed them to explain why the requested orders should not be granted.
When the case was called on the adjourned date, February 24, Ibrahim, who appeared for Turaki, explained that it was now the respondents’ turn to show cause why his client’s application should not be accepted. Ibrahim also stated that the first to third respondents had failed to comply with the order to submit affidavits to explain their position and had instead filed a joint counter-affidavit in response to the primary application.
Hadiza, the fourth respondent, filed an affidavit to show cause and a counter-affidavit to the main suit. Ibrahim pointed out that the conduct of the first to third respondents was being challenged because they had disregarded the court’s directive.
Justice Ekwo, after instructing Ibrahim to be patient as he proceeded with the case, then inquired about the process filed by Anthony, who responded that a counter-affidavit had been submitted in response to Turaki’s motion.
The judge was displeased by this and allowed for an adjournment to give the respondents time to rectify the situation.
Usman Chamo, who represented Hadiza, had submitted an affidavit to show cause and a counter-affidavit to the initial motion, and said that if not for the delay caused by the first to third respondents, the matter could have been resolved sooner.
The judge remarked on the delays caused by the adjournment request and granted Anthony’s request for more time, and also issued a restriction on the respondents from taking any action that would undermine Turaki’s application.
Justice Ekwo further instructed the police to file the necessary documents and gave Turaki’s legal team the opportunity to respond before the next hearing, and the court adjourned to February 28 for further proceedings.
Meanwhile, Hadiza, in her affidavit to show cause, told the court that granting Turaki’s application would prejudice her and would cause her and her child an irreparable damages.
She alleged that the ex-minister “maliciously filed the suit when it came to his knowledge that the DNA Test forms part of the evidence at the Magistrate Court and knowing the result shows that 99.9% the applicant is the biological father of the baby.”
She said the purported restraining order Turaki mentioned in his originating summon was obtained ex-parte by fraud and misrepresentation to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents from accepting any complaint, and same was vacated by the presiding Upper Area Court Judge.
According to her, contrary to the allegation of the applicant, the order was made after I have made my complaint and my statement was already obtained by the Nigerian Police.
“The applicant knows full well that it is only the DNA Test that will exonerate me or him if at all what am saying about the pregnancy is not that of the applicant and the paternity issue.
“That by my knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was done with all sense of humility against the parties involved,” Hadiza said.
She said Turaki had been arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse at Zone 2 in Abuja.
“That it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the applicant’s application,” she prayed.
The police, in their counter affidavit, also urged the court to dismiss the ex-minister’s request.
The police, in their counter affidavit, also urged the court to dismiss the ex-minister’s request.
Lawyers who appeared for all the parties regularised their processes and Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until March 24 for hearing.
By implication, the police are restricted from presenting the DNA test result before Magistrate Abubakar Jega of the Magistrate Court, Wuse Done, who had instructed that all witnesses should be brought to court on the next adjourned date of March 11.
