A Federal Capital Territory Customary Court in Dawaki, Abuja on Monday barred parties in the paternity dispute over a girl child from addressing press conference and granting interviews in the suit filed by a former Chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, against an Abuja-based lawyer, Adaobi Alagwu.
It said both were guilty of media trial in a matter before it for adjudication, saying the infamous act is contrary to the rule of law.
According to the court, since the case is before it for definite pronouncement, both parties must refrain from granting interviews, addressing press conferences, and issuing press statements until the final judgment is delivered.
Ayeni had filed the suit before the Customary Court challenging the legality of the baby girl’s paternity.
He is also denying any link to Alagwu and the baby girl.
In his statement of claim, Ayeni is further asking the court to hold that he is not the biological father of the said child referred to as “X” in the suit.
But Alagwu in her Counter Affidavit against Ayeni’s complaint disclosed that the DNA Test conducted by the Diagnostic Centre in the United Kingdom at the DDC, 1st Floor, WeWork, 184 Shepherds Bush Road, London, W67NIL revealed that Ayeni is the biological father of the baby girl.
Alagwu added that the DNA Test Report, with Reference Number: 05167, showed a probability of 99.9999997 percent, which indicates that Ayeni is the biological father of the baby girl.
When the matter came up on Monday, Ayeni told the court that he would no longer submit himself for any DNA Test in a bid to establish his claim that he did not father a child through his ex-female friend, Alagwu.
In his testimony as a sole witness in his petition against Alagwu before the court, Ayeni insisted that he is not the biological father of the baby girl.
Ayeni, who claimed to also be a lawyer, having been called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992, said he had in 2023 consented to a DNA test in a facility in the United Kingdom, but later withdrew his consent upon detecting fraud in the exercise.
The businessman, who gave details of his relationship with Alagwu, said he had made commitments before the child was born and immediately after by paying money to Alagwu’s father in the form of a dowry and agreeing to have the female child bear his surname.
When asked during cross-examination by Alagwu’s lawyer, T. G. Okechukwu, if he was willing to submit for another DNA test in a separate medical facility since he disputed the earlier one, Ayeni said he would only give consent on certain conditions.
Ayeni said from the information he got between the last attempt at the DNA test and now, he would only submit to the test if other men that Alagwu was going out with at the same time with him, agree to also participate.
He said: “From the information before me now, I now know that we are many that had relationships with her.
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“We all have to submit ourselves for a DNA test.
“Between then and now, I now know that we are many in that club.
“I have even suggested that we should all come together and have a meeting.
“One of them has even accused me of stealing his child.
“It was me that insisted on DNA, when I realised that the child has strange features, like being flat-footed, which is not similar to mine or any member of my family.
“The proposal that I gave in 2023 was not ad infinitum (forever).
“Certain facts are now in my possession.
“If I am to submit for another DNA test, at least my colleagues that I know were also in relationship with her will all submit themselves to the same test.
“If it is her desire for me alone to do it, I will not.”
Ayeni had earlier while being led in evidence by his lawyer, Silas Onu, said he came to court because he brought a petition against Alagwu, “who has been parading herself as my wife and claiming that she had a child for me, which is not true”.
He also testified that the respondent and himself were friends prior to 2022.
He then said: “All along, she knew that I am a married man.
“I never hid that facts from her
“In the course of our friendship, it was to my knowledge that she was also in a relationship with other men, which fact was also not hidden.
“Sometime in 2022, she claimed she got pregnant and that the pregnancy was for me.
“It became a source of dispute between me and her until she brought in her mother, who came to talk to me, and subsequently, her father, who I met for the first time at that time.
“Her father claimed to be a chief in his community and that the daughter had told him about me a year earlier.
“And that she has told him that she is pregnant and that the pregnancy was for me.
“The father said according to Igbo tradition, there must be money paid on her for the child not to bear his (Adaobi father’s) name.
“And that as a traditional chief, it was important for me to do it to avoid the shame to him and his family and for me to avoid the traditional consequence.
“So, I agreed, but it was not for marriage because I explained that I am married under the Act and I cannot conduct any other legal union.”
Onu later tendered a copy of the petitioner’s marriage certificate while the document was marked as exhibit.
When asked why he elected to pay the money to Alagwu’s father when he knew he was married under the Act, Ayeni replied that he did it for the child to bear his name.
Ayeni further insisted that he did not have any child with Alagwu, saying that he paid the money because “I was made to believe that the child was mine, which informed why I took those steps in the interest of the child”.
When asked at what stage of the pregnancy he made the payment, Ayeni said it was when the respondent was about five months to six months pregnant.
Ayeni also told the court that at a point he instructed a lawyer, Dele Adesina (SAN), to write Alagwu to cease and desist “because she was parading herself as Mrs. Ayeni, claiming to have a child for me.
“Not only did the child not have any attributes of me, both in terms of physical appearance, being flat-footed, which nobody in my family ever had, or in terms of complexion.
“When reasonable discussion could not stop her from parading herself in a manner to cause my wife disaffection and embarrassment, I had to resort to legal measures.
“As I said earlier, I took those responsible steps when I thought the child was mine.
“When I discovered that the girl child is not my child, I did not hesitate to convey the fact that she (the child) did not belong to me.
“I have three children with my wife.
“No one is flat-footed.
“I have never conducted a DNA test on my children because I saw no need.
“They all look like me in appearance.
“When she started parading herself as my wife and claiming to have a daughter for me, I knew of her multiple relationships.
“I know that the reason she was claiming that the child was mine and claiming to be my wife was because of the money I paid before the child was born.
“I demanded for a refund of the money I paid and the money was refunded to me.
“I want a declaration that she was never my wife, we were never married and I am not the biological father of her daughter. “
After Ayeni’s testimony, the court asked Alagwu’s lawyer when her client would be available for her defence since Okechukwu stated that she was abroad on medical grounds.
Okechukwu later assured the court that Alagwu would be in court at the next adjourned date while the case has been adjourned till March 4, 2025 for the hearing of her defence and her counterclaim.
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