The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Nigeria Police Force from tendering a DNA test result as evidence in an ongoing paternity case involving a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and one Hadiza Baffa.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who issued the order on Tuesday, held that the police and other respondents must not rely on the contested DNA result pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by the ex-minister.
Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, is locked in a legal battle with Baffa, who claims he fathered her child.
Her petition to the police led to his arraignment on February 6, 2025, before an Abuja Magistrate Court on charges bordering on false marriage, adultery and criminal intimidation.
He has since pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N1 million.
The ex-minister, however, approached the Federal High Court through an ex-parte application (FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025) seeking an injunction to stop the police, the Inspector-General, DCP Rita Oki Oyintare and Baffa from using the DNA test reportedly conducted on November 5, 2024.
Turaki alleged that he was coerced into submitting a sample for the test after being detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja for six hours.
According to him, the process violated his fundamental rights.
“Unless this honourable court promptly intervenes, the respondents will rely on the said purported DNA test paternity result, the validity or otherwise being the subject matter of the instant suit,” he stated in his affidavit.
At the resumed hearing, his counsel, Abdulaziz Ibrahim (SAN), accused the police of attempting to “smuggle in an illegally obtained DNA result” into the criminal proceedings at the Magistrate Court.
He further argued that the test was not only flawed but was being weaponised against his client.
While Baffa, through her lawyer, Usman Chamo, confirmed filing a counter-affidavit in compliance with the court’s directive, Justice Ekwo berated the police counsel, M.L. Anthony, for failing to obey earlier orders requiring them to show cause.
The judge granted Anthony’s plea for an adjournment to regularise the processes but ruled that the DNA result must not be used in the meantime.
“The respondents are hereby restrained from acting contrary to the prayers in the motion ex-parte until further orders of this court,” Justice Ekwo declared.
The matter has been adjourned to February 28 for further hearing.
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