The former chairman of the now-defunct Skye Bank, Tunde Ayeni, has expressed reluctance in submitting himself for a DNA test to settle a paternity dispute regarding a child claimed by his ex-friend,Adaobi Alagwu.
Ayeni made the statement while testifying in a petition he filed before the Customary Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Dawaki, Abuja, on Monday.
Ayeni, who is also a lawyer, revealed that he had initially agreed to undergo a DNA test in 2023 at a facility in the United Kingdom but withdrew his consent after discovering what he described as fraud in the process.
He further elaborated on his relationship with Ms. Alagwu, explaining that he had made certain commitments, including paying a dowry to her father and allowing the child to carry his surname, despite later doubts about the child’s paternity.
When questioned by Ms. Alagwu’s lawyer, T.G. Okechukwu, about his willingness to submit to a new DNA test in another facility, Ayeni stated that he would only agree under certain conditions.
Specifically, he said that other men who were also involved with Ms. Alagwu at the same time should also undergo the test. Ayeni explained,
“I now know that we are many that had relationships with her. We all have to subject ourselves for the test.”
He emphasized that his decision to initially propose the DNA test in 2023 was based on his concerns over the child’s physical traits, which he believed did not resemble his own or his family’s.
“I have even suggested that we should all come together and have a meeting,” he said, adding that one of the other men involved had accused him of stealing his child.
Ayeni’s testimony centered on his claims that Ms. Alagwu had been parading herself as his wife and claiming that the child in question was his.
He denied the allegations, explaining that he was married under the law and that he had never had a formal union with Ms. Alagwu.
He revealed that, despite knowing about her other relationships, he paid the dowry to her father after being convinced that the child was his.
He later discovered that the child did not share any physical traits with him, including the flat-footedness that he claimed was unique to his family.
Furthermore, Ayeni told the court that he had instructed his lawyer to demand that Ms. Alagwu cease referring to herself as his wife, and that he had sought a refund of the dowry money once he realized the child was not his.
Ayeni has asked the court for a declaration that he was never married to Ms. Alagwu, that they were never in a marital relationship, and that he is not the biological father of her child.
At the end of his testimony, the court inquired about the availability of Ms. Alagwu for her defense, as her lawyer, Okechukwu, had stated that she was abroad on medical grounds.
Okechukwu assured the court that Ms. Alagwu would attend the hearing scheduled for March 4, where her defense and counter-claim would be heard.
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