Increasing cases of paternity fraud following failed Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests have left many hearts broken and marriages crashing. BENJAMIN SAMSON takes a tour of Nigeria’s paternity fraud with attendant agonies, shattered ego and more.
In Nigeria, paternity fraud has become a cause for concern to many with the acceptance of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests.
The increasing reports of women deliberately and falsely claiming their children to have been fathered by men, often their husbands, bring to mind the saying that only a woman knows who the father of her child is.
The phenomenon has gained attention as DNA testing becomes more accessible, uncovering a troubling trend where a notable percentage of paternity tests reveal negative results.
DNA
In a chat with our reporter, a Molecular Biologist at Graceland Hospital, Abuja, Andrew Nnaji, said “A Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) relationship test is the use of genetic profiles to determine whether an individual is the biological parent of another individual.
“Recent studies have revealed that one in every four tested men turned out not to be the biological father of their child(ren) and ranks Nigeria as the second highest in paternity fraud.
“Many couples in Nigeria are increasingly resorting to DNA testing due to rising challenges such as infidelity suspicions, fertility struggles, and migration-related worries.”
Prominent cases
One of the famous cases of failed paternity tests was that of a popular comedian and talk show host, Chinedu Ani, aka Nedu, who found out that a son he fathered for years was not his after he had a DNA test done.
His wife, Uzoamaka Ohiri, claimed she did not intentionally give another man’s child to him, adding that she too did not know that the child was not Ani’s. The marriage has since crashed.
Uzoamaka also stressed that she did not cheat on Nedu during their brief marriage, however, she was in a relationship before meeting the comedian.
Similarly, the social media went agog when a Judge of the Delta State High Court, Anthony Okorodas, revealed that he was not the biological father of three children from his marriage with his former wife.
Blueprint Weekend checks revealed that there are many unreported cases as the victims opted to keep the scandal in the family for fear of stigmatisation and other backlash.
Statistics
Smart DNA, a leading DNA testing centre in Lagos, in its Comprehensive 2024 Report on DNA Testing Trends in Nigeria, covering July 2023 to June 2024, unveiled several astonishing findings that shed light on societal dynamics, economic factors, and changing family structures in Nigeria.
The report, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, showed that paternity uncertainty remained high.
According to the report, 27 per cent of paternity tests conducted came back negative, indicating that more than one in four men tested are not the biological fathers of the children in question.
It also showed Immigration Tests surge, indicating that the “Japa” trend was high.
The report noted a significant increase in DNA tests for immigration purposes, growing more than any other test type, as more Nigerians seek opportunities abroad.
The trend also suggested that a growing number of parents with dual citizenship were processing paperwork for their children’s emigration
On regional dominance, the report showed that Lagos dominated, a reflection of economic disparity.
An overwhelming 73.1 per cent of all DNA tests were conducted in Lagos, with a stark divide between Mainland (67.5 per cent) and Island (32.5 per cent).
This concentration highlighted the economic divide within Lagos and across Nigeria, raising questions about access to such services in other parts of the country.
It also showed that the Yoruba ethnic group accounted for 53 per cent of tests, followed by Igbo (31.3 per cent), with Hausa at only 1.20 per cent.
Changing dynamics of families, society
Commenting on the report, Elizabeth Digia, Operations Manager at Smart DNA, said: “These findings offer a unique window into the changing dynamics of Nigerian families and society.
“The high rate of negative paternity tests and the surge in immigration-related testing are particularly noteworthy. They reflect broader societal trends that merit further discussion and research.
“The concentration of testing in Lagos also raises important questions about accessibility and awareness of DNA testing services across Nigeria.
“As a company, we’re committed to expanding access to our services nationwide while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and confidentiality,’’ she said.
NAN reported that the statistics showed that most of the children tested were aged 0-five (54.0 per cent), suggesting a preference for early paternity confirmation.
Men aged 41+ (45.6 per cent) and 31-40 (37.0 per cent) were most likely to request tests, potentially reflective of economic capabilities or increased paternity concerns in older men.
Also, it indicated slight gender bias in Child Testing as more tests were conducted on male children (52.8 per cent) than female children (47.2 per cent), insinuating a a possible cultural preference for confirming paternity of male offspring.
According to the report, peace of mind dominates reasons for the DNA testings as the majority of tests (85.9 per cent) were conducted for ‘Peace of Mind’, rather than legal motivations.
Increased testing
Speaking with this reporter on increase in DNA testing, a Geneticist, Dr. Solanke Abiru, said a number of factors could be responsible.
He said, “There appears to be renewed interest in DNA testing in Nigeria for several reasons. The major reason is infidelity in marriage. There are so many issues online, I mean, we have read and seen cases of fathers raising children that don’t belong to them.
“It has always been like that, sincerely, but because of social media, people can now share and we know what is happening. People are getting to know that they can actually do DNA testing to know the father of the child, instead of raising a child for more than five, six years only to discover he is not your own.
“From experience in DNA testing, most firstborns are not fathered by the husbands at home, because these ladies have a prior relationship before getting married. Most times, they continue with that relationship, they don’t leave it after marriage.
“Another reason is immigration purposes because when you are travelling abroad, you will be required to carry out a DNA test on the kids who would be accompanying you, especially if you say you are the parent.
“Another reason could be child trafficking. At the airport, if you are a woman and you are traveling with a child less than six months, you will be asked to go for a maternity test to confirm if you are the mother of the child.
Possibility of error
Speaking about possibilities of human errors in DNA testing, he said, “It is possible to make human error, especially when there is a mix-up with the sample. That is a human error but it is very rare.
“However, there are also cases where we have Chimera’s syndrome, but it is also rare. This is when a woman’s DNA does not match that of her child. It is very rare, probably one in a million cases.
“There have been cases when a man will come for a DNA test and the result comes out negative and after lots of talk and counsel, the wife insists that she didn’t have any extramarital affair. We then conducted a maternity test and discovered that the woman was also not the mother of that child.
“We then ruled out infidelity and realised that the baby was switched at the hospital shortly after birth. Most times this occurs when the wrong name tag is put on the child’s hands.”
Stigma fuels fraud
Also, speaking with our reporter, a Psychologist, Adanna Omeje, said stigma associated with single parenthood could also be responsible for high level of paternity fraud in Nigeria.
According to the psychologists, “The stigma surrounding single parenthood, particularly for women, is immense. This societal pressure can lead women to make choices they might not otherwise consider, potentially contributing to paternity fraud.”
Fatherhood not only by spermatozoa
However, a Laboratory Scientists, Shedrach Ayuba, told Blueprint Weekend that, “It is common knowledge that children are not rejected in the palace even though we are in the technological world and living in the highly knowledge age.
“DNA testing is a current ball of disrupting families. we are harming the society and family structure and we have to be cautioned. DNA testing is becoming prevalent, and it is not helping the system.
“What this means is that spouses are just telling each other that they don’t trust themselves, relationships should not be transactional and this should be done with caution.”
Addressing the ethical implications of DNA testing, Ayuba, cautioned against its indiscriminate use, particularly in the absence of valid disputes.
“There is a high rate of infertility scenarios among couples and most of them rely on IVF for children. My advice to Nigerians and young people in particular, DNA remains in the medicolegal scenarios.
“We should not profile children, we need to be cautious and it should be necessary before testing for DNA, doing this destroys the psychology of children. This thought infuses the children and they grow with it. So, if there are no disputes, I do not think people should probe or profile the children.
“I urge healthcare professionals to prioritise the protection of families, they should not be driven over financial gains.”
Continuing, Ayuba added that fathering a child is not only by spermatozoa, let technology be used for service, the society should not allow it to break homes.
“We have issues of infidelity and promiscuity, if a child paternity is in disagreement, I don’t think because of their migration, that should be the basis to justify to profiling their children. It is only when a father claims justly over a child, that the DNA can be justified.”
Legality of paternity fraud
For Human Rights Lawyer & Executive Director, Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER), Barr. Frank Tietie, many of the reported cases of paternity fraud, should actually be rightly referred to as Paternity mistakes or ‘Presumptuous Paternity’.
Speaking on the topic: ‘Paternity Fraud: Examining the Legal and Social Implications’ 2021 Annual Conference Of The Nigerian Bar Association- Section On Public Interest And Development Law Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Tietie maintained that: “There are several circumstances where a woman, whether married or not can have multiple sexual partners. Whereas such an act by partners or married couples, particularly the female partner is referred to as adultery or cheating however, condemnable are such acts by the mores of the Nigerian society, it is not outrightly a criminal offence and, by our matrimonial laws, can even be condoned within a marriage relationship.
“In the case of a married woman who has had sexual intercourse with her husband and another man during the likely period of conception, would she be considered to have committed paternity fraud for reasonably making a mistake as to the identity of either of the men who is responsible for her pregnancy?
“Respectfully, our laws do not punish such mistakes as crimes and neither do the laws also, refer to them as fraudulent because they are mistakes in the true sense, being without the intention to deceive.
“Therefore, many of the reported cases of paternity fraud, should actually be rightly referred to as Paternity mistakes or presumptuous paternity.”
He stressed that, “One fundamental element of proving a crime is the possession of ‘guilty mind’ (mens rea). A woman who reasonably believes that one of the men (including her husband, if married) that she slept with is the father of the child born of her, the fact of which is later proven otherwise, cannot be said to have committed fraud when she had no intention to mislead but only made a mistake in her identification of the man who impregnated her.
“There is therefore the existence of a thin line of intention to deceive that distinguishes between a paternity fraud and a paternity mistake.”
The rights lawyers, who advocated that sexual faithfulness in marriage should be promoted, noted that, “…the peculiarities of life throw up many circumstances and realities which open married and unmarried couples to having multiple sexual partners.”
While making a case for mandatory DNA test at birth, he noted that: “Section 1 (b) of the National Population Commission (NPC) Act mandates the NPC to establish and maintain a machinery for continuous and universal registration of births and deaths, throughout the Federation.
“In discharge of this function, the NPC has been issuing birth certificates through hospitals and birth clinics. The contents of the birth certificates issued by the NPC include the information on who father of the child is.
“Once inscribed, the person named and registered on the birth certificate as the father of the child must remain so for all intents and purposes.
“Such responsibilities which go with declaration of fatherhood in the NPC birth certificates must be enforced against the person named thereon. Therefore, the information of who the father of child is, must be stated with a sense of certainty and not levity or carelessness.
“Therefore, compulsory DNA tests at birth as a state policy is not inappropriate. However, should the policy of compulsory DNA testing at birth be accepted for implementation, it should have an option of waiver that is exercisable by the man who so wishes to be so registered as the father of the child, but on the condition that once a man has exercised that waiver, he is stopped for life from conducting any further DNA test to determine the paternity of that child.
“If he ever does so, he cannot disclose it since it will unnecessarily destroy and disrupt many things, including the psyche with the immediate and future wellbeing of the child (children).”
Case for empathy
Despite the emotional confusion that go with paternity disagreements, experts emphasize the importance of addressing such issues with empathy and understanding.
Richard Adebayo, a clinical psychologist, said that there is a need for wide-ranging support systems to assist individuals navigating the complications of paternity exposure.
“Paternity disagreements can have deep psychological consequences for all parties involved, including the children. It’s essential to approach these situations with sensitivity and compassion, offering therapeutic interventions to facilitate healing and reconciliation,” advises Adebayo.
In the same vein, a Marriage Counsellor, Adeyinka Badmus, stresses open communication to prevent grievances. The stigma surrounding arguments often hinders resolutions.
“As DNA testing becomes more accessible, individuals are increasingly opting to verify the paternity of their children. While this may lead to uncomfortable revelations, it also serves as a catalyst for truth and accountability within familial relationships,” said Badmus.
Similarly, Adanna said, “Unmasking paternity fraud requires a multi-faceted approach. By addressing the underlying social and economic factors, promoting open communication, and fostering a culture of informed decision-making, Nigeria can build a stronger foundation for families. This, in turn, can lead to a decrease in paternity fraud and a brighter future for generations to come.
“Also, creating better economic opportunities empowers couples to raise families without undue financial pressure. “Building strong communication and trust within relationships is fundamental. Open and honest conversations about family planning and expectations can help couples make informed decisions and avoid situations leading to paternity fraud.”