Ms. Hadiza Musa Baffa, the woman at the center of a paternity dispute with former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss his application seeking to prevent the submission of a DNA test result in court.
The legal battle stems from allegations of false marriage, adultery, and other related offences against Turaki, following claims that the two cohabited between December 2014 and August 2016.
The paternity of Baffa’s child has since become a point of contention.
On February 18, Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the case to allow the respondents—the Nigerian Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rita Oki Oyintare—to file a response explaining why Turaki’s request should not be granted.
Baffa’s lawyer, Usman Chamo, confirmed that they have filed both an affidavit and a counter-affidavit opposing Turaki’s application.
In her affidavit, Baffa argued that allowing the ex-minister’s request would be unfair and cause irreparable harm to both her and her child.
She accused Turaki of attempting to suppress evidence, stating that he filed the suit only after learning that the DNA test had been conducted and allegedly confirmed him as the child’s biological father with 99.9% certainty.
She also refuted Turaki’s claims about a previous court order restraining the police from acting on any complaints, asserting that the order was obtained through misrepresentation and was later vacated by the judge.
“The applicant is fully aware that the DNA test is the only scientific means to confirm or refute his paternity. His attempt to block its use raises serious questions about his intentions,” she stated in her affidavit.
Turaki, in his motion dated February 11, 2025, is seeking an interim injunction to prevent the police from presenting or relying on the DNA test result, which was conducted at DNA Labs Limited on November 5, 2024.
He alleged that DCP Oyintare detained him for six hours at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Garki, Abuja, where he was allegedly forced to provide a swab sample for the test.
He claims that despite his objections, the sample was taken before he was released around 10 p.m. that night.
