Nigeria’s ex-minister in paternity scandal

An Upper Area Court sitting in Kado, Abuja, has restrained the police from investigating a paternity dispute against former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, pending the hearing and determination of the case.

The presiding judge, Shehu Ahmadu, in a ruling, ordered the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and his officers not to accept any complaint from Musa Baffa, Uwani Arabi and their daughter, Hadiza Baffa, in relation to the ex-minister as the matter is already before the court.

The judge gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by Mr Turaki’s counsel on Sept. 2 and a certified true copy of the order made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

The judge said: “Respondents are hereby restrained, especially 4th to 10th respondents from accepting any complaint from the 1st to 3rd respondents (parents and daughter) especially the 2nd respondent (Hadiza) or carrying any investigation relating to the applicant as the matter is already before a competent court of law, the Upper Area Court Kado FCT, in CV/35/2024 until the determination of the motion on notice before this court.
“This order Is given under the hand and seal of the honourable judge.”

Mr Turaki had, in the motion number: M/26/2024, sued Musa Baffa (father), Hadiza Baffa (daughter), Uwani Arabi (mother) and Nigeria Police Force as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

Others listed in the application include the I-G, DIG Sylvester Alabi (DIG Force CID), AIG Muhammad Dan Kwara (Force CID), CP Musbahu Ajani (CP Admin, Force CID), CSP Mohammed Gashua and SP Ibrahim Shugaba as 5th to 10th respondents.
In the substantive suit marked: CV/35/2024 filed before the court, Turaki sued Musa, Hadiza and Uwani as 1st to 3rd defendants.

The ex-minister denied being responsible for Hadiza’s pregnancy which resulted in a baby girl.

He alleged that Hadiza had a boyfriend who he said was responsible for the pregnancy.

The ex-minister alleged that sometimes in 2016, Uwani, who was a person known to him in Kano before her marriage to Musa, called him on phone and sought his advice on her plans to relocate her daughter, Hadiza, “who was then schooling, according to her, at University of Maiduguri, because of the activities of Boko Haram.”

He said he advised Uwani to secure admission for her daughter at Bayero University, Kano; Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, or University of Ilorin.

Mr Turaki said after some weeks of the previous discussion, Uwani called and told him that she was coming to Abuja together with Hadiza and begged him to arrange an accommodation for them.

He said he obliged by securing an accommodation at Ideal Guest House, Garki which Is a furnished apartment that are let out for short or long stay.

He said Uwani secured admission for Hadiza at Baze University in Abuja and he supported her with N1 million out of the N3 million for registration fees.

He alleged that Uwani pleaded with him to serve as guardian for her daughter, Hadiza.

The ex-minister, who averred that he took responsibility of Hadiza’s upkeep, said he was surprised to discover that Hadiza connived with her mother to change her surname to Turaki without his knowledge and consent.

He alleged that when Hadiza’s criminal acts became so intense, he drove her away and directed his staff not to allow her close to his office anymore.

He alleged that after walking out on the daughter and the mother for a month or thereabout, Uwani called him on phone and requested to see him.

He said during the meeting, Uwani told him that her daughter was pregnant and she said he was responsible.

Mr Turaki averred that he outrightly denied the allegation describing it as a blackmail.

He alleged that Musa, Hadiza’s father, who he said had abandoned the daughter for 28 years, called him around May regarding the issue.

But in a statement of defence jointly filed by the parents and daughter, they denied Mr Turaki’s allegations.

Hadiza and Uwani averred that it was the ex-minister who reached out to the third defendant (Uwani) and offered to help her daughter “by enrolling her into Baze University in Abuja, bear the cost of her education and accommodation; and serve as her guardian.”

According to them, the plaintiff (Turaki) committed to doing everything for the 2nd defendant because according to him, he considers her as his daughter.

They alleged that it was Mr Turaki who suggested the university contrary to his claim.

They said Hadiza’s registration fees when she gained admission in 2014 was N950, 000 and that the ex-minister gave her $2000 dollars for the fees.

Uwani said contrary to Turaki’s claim, the former minister offered to serve as Hadiza’s guardian.

Uwani, who said she never requested or prompted for such decision, said as at that time she did not suspect that Turaki had sinister motives towards her daughter.

Hadiza averred that she never suspected that Mr Turaki’s benevolence towards her was to take advantage of her.

Uwani said contrary to Mr Turaki’s claim that she begged him to give her daughter a car, the woman said she never had any of such discussion with the former minister.

According to her, it was the plaintiff who called her to pick up the Toyota Almera from his office at T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro and she was surprise to see that the car particulars carried her name as “Hadiza Turaki.”

On her part, Hadiza alleged that it was Turaki who had changed her name to “Hadiza Turaki” by putting same on the vehicle papers he bought for her and persuaded her to use the same name on her Guarantee Trust Bank account number through which he sent monies to her severally through his account officer.

Hadiza alleged that she had challenges with her education, faced physical and emotional trauma when the ex-minister “exploited her under the guise of being her guardian.

She alleged that he frequently visited her in the apartments and several times lured her into having illicit sexual relationship with him.

She further averred that the plaintiff severally threatened her not to let her parents know that he was taking advantage of her thus, she was scared and traumatised, and the trauma affected her and her studies.

According to her, when the plaintiff realised that she was passing through psychological and physical trauma, he kept promising to marry her and began to exchange romantic phone and WhatsApp conversations with her.

Hadiza alleged that when she discovered that she was pregnant for Mr Turaki, she informed him and he took several steps, including phone calls made to her trying to compel and pushing her to abort the pregnancy.

She said she decided to keep the pregnancy against all odds when she was advised against terminating it and the risk involved.

She alleged that Mr Turaki became wild against her when she refused to listen to him.

Hadiza said she delivered the baby girl on April 3, 2023.

“And when the plaintiff later saw the baby, he acknowledged that she was his daughter as a result of the striking resemblance with him,” she alleged.

She further alleged that the ex-minister even paid monies for the antenatal, delivery and post natal services of the baby girl at Nizamiyye Hospital.

The matter was adjourned until Sept. 24 for continuation of hearing.

(NAN)