A woman, Hadiza Baffa, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja not to grant the prayers sought by Kabiru Turaki, former Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Minister, in his fresh suit.

Hadiza told Justice Inyang Ekwo in her affidavit to show cause filed by her lawyer, Sani Idris, why the reliefs sought in Turaki’s motion ex-parte should not be granted.

Turaki, in the motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025, sued the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Inspector-General (I-G) of Police; DCP Rita Oki Oyintare, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Gender; and Hadiza Musa Baffa as the first and fourth respondents, respectively.

In the motion dated Feb. 11 but filed Feb. 13, the former minister sought one relief.

He sought an interim injunction restraining the respondents from presenting, using, or relying on the purported DNA paternity test result procured from DNA Labs Limited or any other DNA laboratory on Nov. 5, 2024, or any other date thereafter.

Giving a 13-ground argument as to why his application should be granted, Turaki said he instituted an action against Hadiza (4th respondent) vide suit No CV/35/2024 on June 24, 2024.

In the suit, he sought declaratory reliefs, including but not limited to a perpetual injunction restraining her from parading that she was married to him and that her child is from him.

He said that Hadiza caused several petitions to be written to the office of the 1st to 3rd respondents in connection with the subject matter in suit no CV/35/2024, and the petitions were consolidated upon application for consolidation by him vide the letter dated Sept.19, 2024.

The ex-minister alleged that on Nov. 5, 2024, DCP Oyintare invited him, and he honored the invitation.

He further alleged that upon honouring the invitation, Oyintare insisted that she must take a swab from him to conduct a DNA to prove the paternity of Hadiza’s daughter.

He said that though he protested, he was detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department’s cell at Area 10, Garki, Abuja, for about six hours, from 12 noon to.6 pm At about 9 p.m., his “swab sample was collected by a purported scientist at the behest of the 3rd respondent,” and he was allowed to go home at about 10 p.m. on that day.

Turaki said the purported DNA test paternity result procured in violation of his fundamental human rights was being planned to be used in a criminal charge filed against him before the Federal Capital Territory, Magistrate Court, Abuja.

He said that unless the court promptly intervened, the respondents would rely on the purported DNA test paternity result, the validity of which is the subject of the instant suit.

Justice Ekwo ordered the former minister to notify all the respondents when his lawyer, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, moved the motion on Feb. 18.

The judge directed the respondents to show cause on the next adjourned date for not granting the ex-ministers prayers.

Meanwhile, Hadiza, in her affidavit to show cause, told the court that granting Turaki’s application would prejudice her and cause irreparable damage to her and her child.

She alleged that the ex-minister “maliciously filed the suit when it came to his knowledge that the DNA Test forms part of the evidence at the Magistrate Court and knowing the result shows that 99.9% of the applicant is the biological father of the baby.”

She said the purported restraining order Turaki mentioned in his originating summons was obtained ex parte by fraud and misrepresentation to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents from accepting any complaint, and the presiding Upper Area Court Judge vacated it.

According to her, contrary to the applicant's allegation, the order was made after I had made my complaint and the Nigerian Police already obtained my statement.

“The applicant knows full well that it is only the DNA Test that will exonerate him or me if at all what I am saying about the pregnancy is not that of the applicant and the paternity issue.

“That by my knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was done with all sense of humility against the parties involved,” Hadiza said.

She said Turaki had been arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse, at Zone 2 in Abuja.

“That it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the applicant’s application,” she prayed.

The police, in their counter affidavit, also urged the court to dismiss the ex-minister’s request.

Lawyers who appeared for all the parties regularised their processes, and Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until March 24 for a hearing.