The appeal of former Minister of Special Responsibilities and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki to prevent the police from disclosing the DNA test results in the paternity issue with Hadiza Baffa was denied by a federal high court in Abuja.
Turaki’s attorney, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, filed an ex parte application on Tuesday. Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, said that he could not provide the relief the former minister requested until he had heard from the respondents.
He said, “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.
As a result, the judge mandated that Turaki give two days’ notice to each respondent in the application.
Ekwo directed the respondents to show cause on the next adjourned date why the prayers sought by the former minister should not be granted.
The matter was adjourned to February 24.
What Has Happened?
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the inspector general of police, the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Rita Oyintare (DCP for Gender), and Hadiza Musa Baffa were the first and fourth respondents, respectively, to Turaki’s ex-parte motion, which was filed with the filing number FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025.
An interim injunction prohibiting the respondents from presenting or relying on a DNA test result from DNA Labs Limited or any other laboratory on November 5, 2024, or later, was requested in the motion, which was dated February 11 but filed on February 13.
In his argument, Turaki stated that he had previously initiated legal action against Baffa in 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.
According to Turaki, Hadiza had filed multiple petitions with the police regarding the matter.
He asserted that these petitions were consolidated upon his request in a letter dated September 19, 2024, and the investigation was assigned to the deputy inspector-general of police (DIG) for intelligence.
Despite this, Turaki claimed that Oyintare continued to harass and summon him for questioning.
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He further alleged that despite a court order and the IGP’s directive transferring the case to the DIG, Oyintare insisted on personally handling the investigation.
Turaki recounted that on November 5, 2024, he was summoned by Oyintare and pressured to provide a DNA sample. He resisted, stating that he would not submit to a forced test.
However, he alleged that Oyintare subsequently detained him at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Garki, Abuja, from noon until 6 pm before forcibly collecting his DNA sample at 9 pm. He was released around 10 pm.
The former minister further stated that a criminal charge had been filed against him at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) magistrate court, and the respondents planned to use the DNA test result obtained under duress as evidence.
Turaki argued that unless the court intervened promptly, the result would be used against him, causing irreparable damage even if the suit was eventually decided in his favour.
