A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed an application filed by Kabiru Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, seeking to prevent the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from presenting a DNA test result in his ongoing paternity dispute with Hadiza Baffa.
The ruling came on Tuesday, following an ex parte motion presented by Turaki’s lawyer, Abdulaziz Ibrahim. Presiding Judge Inyang Ekwo ruled that the court could not grant the relief sought by the former minister without first hearing from the respondents involved in the case.
“Upon studying the motion ex-parte and the averments in the affidavit in support, including the affidavit of urgency, I am of the opinion that the prayers cannot be granted without hearing from the respondents,” Ekwo stated.
As a result, the judge ordered Turaki to notify all respondents in the application within two days of the court’s decision. He also directed the respondents to appear on the next adjourned date and show cause as to why Turaki’s requests should not be granted. The case has been adjourned to February 24, 2025.
Background
The dispute stems from a paternity case filed by Turaki, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025, against the NPF, the Inspector-General of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rita Oyintare, and Hadiza Musa Baffa, the fourth respondent.
In his application, dated February 11 and filed on February 13, Turaki sought an interim injunction to prevent the respondents from using or relying on a DNA test result obtained from DNA Labs Limited or any other laboratory from November 5, 2024, onwards.
Turaki’s legal battle with Hadiza Baffa began earlier when he filed suit No. CV/35/2024 on June 24, 2024, seeking a court declaration that she was not his wife and that her child was not his. He claimed that Baffa had filed multiple petitions with the police, which were consolidated into one investigation assigned to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) for intelligence.
Despite the consolidation of the case, Turaki claimed that DCP Oyintare continued to harass him and summon him for questioning. He alleged that, even after a court order and an IGP directive transferring the case to the DIG, Oyintare insisted on handling the matter personally.
Turaki recounted an incident on November 5, 2024, when he was summoned by Oyintare, who allegedly pressured him into providing a DNA sample. Turaki refused, stating he would not submit to a forced test. He claimed that he was detained by Oyintare at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Garki, Abuja, and that his DNA was forcibly taken later that evening after being held for several hours.
The former minister further noted that a criminal charge had been filed against him in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Magistrate Court, and the respondents planned to use the disputed DNA test result as evidence. Turaki argued that unless the court intervened, the test results would be used against him, causing irreparable harm, even if the case was eventually ruled in his favor.
