An Ikire native living in Osun State’s Irewole Local Government Area, Olanrewaju Kolawole, thought he was the father of all four of the children living in his home.
His dreams of fathering the four children that he and his wife, Toyin Tella, raised together were shattered when the four children’s DNA test results were made public.
According to the results of the DNA test performed at the DDC DNA Diagnostic Center in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, the 44-year-old man is not the four children’s biological father.
Kolawole was forced by this to cry out and ask kind-hearted Nigerians for assistance.
In the capital of Oyo state, Ibadan, Kolawole and his estranged wife Toyin Tella made an appearance on a live radio program called “Kokoro Alate,” which was hosted by Oriyomi Hamzat on Agidigbo 88.7 FM.
After learning that none of the children were his biological children through DNA testing, Kolawole sobbed uncontrollably.
Kolawole married Toyin in 2007, and the two went on to have four children together.
According to Kolawole, the results of the first child’s DNA test showed that the child was not his.
He continued by saying that the tests he later administered to the other three kids all came out negative.
He uttered, “I need Nigerians to help me because I can’t bear to suffer in vain. In 2007, I got married to Toyin, and we had four kids. She gave birth to four children, but a DNA test revealed that none of them are mine.
The wife, however, wasn’t happy with the outcome.
She claimed not to have been there when the sample was obtained and not to know which samples had been taken.
“I disagree with the outcome. I don’t accept that because I wasn’t present when the samples were taken, and I have no idea which sample they took. She said, “I know how I created those children, but I can’t accept it.
The narrative presented above is based on a genuine story of a family that has been destroyed by claims of paternity fraud, not a scene from any Nollywood film.
There have been other paternity fraud cases in the news recently besides this one.
Media attention nationwide was drawn to an alleged paternity fraud case in 2021 involving the families of Mr. Adam Nuru and Mr. Tunde Thomas.
Moyo Thomas, who wed Mr. Tunde Thomas, was allegedly having a covert love affair with Mr. Adam Nuru, the managing director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
The alleged beginning of Moyo Thomas and Nuru’s relationship occurred when the latter was an FCMB employee.
At the time, it was widely accepted that Tunde Thomas, who had been lawfully married to Moyo Thomas, was the father of the two children born out of the union.
It was stated that Moyo had told her husband she was taking the kids with her when she left Nigeria for the US, but that she would later tell him the kids belonged to the FCMB MD instead of him.
The information is said to have contributed to Mr. Thomas’s death by causing a stroke and subsequently a heart arrest.
Moyo, however, later surfaced and refuted the allegations.
She disputed in her statement that she ever informed her late husband that he was not the biological father of her children.
“With reference to all the accusations and charges that have been circulating on the internet and other social media sites lately, I write. For many reasons, including honoring Tunde’s memory, I have not responded to this issue. Tunde passed away on December 16, 2020, to be with his maker. Memories to me and to his children, who are still young, and to all those who shared his company.
“Tunde and I had many disagreements throughout our marriage, just like in any other, and some of them even resulted in police involvement. But I’m still determined to remember him exclusively in good ways. As they say, “He who wears the shoes knows where it pinches,” therefore no one can ever truly comprehend what happened between us or what each of us went through in the marriage. I never once wished him bad out of all of that. Like many others, I’m still in disbelief over his abrupt and unexpected passing.
I didn’t ever tell him he wasn’t the father of our two kids. Therefore, to claim and imply that I told him the children are not his is willful misrepresentation and definitely malicious. His name is still on the kids. God alone is aware of the reason behind his premature death. Without solid medical evidence, it is neither my business nor anybody else’s to play god and declare with confidence what caused him to die.
“Even after we separated, we never let our disagreements interfere with our individual relationships with the kids. Until his unexpected and sad passing, he continued to speak with the kids like any parent would. The images of these helpless kids are all over the internet, along with strange and derogatory remarks, which is really depressing.
“I do ask that we all be allowed to grieve his loss in peace, and I do wish his family and friends the strength to bear the unfortunate loss.” We want everyone to respect our privacy and give those who are mourning his loss, particularly the children and me, the opportunity to do so in peace. He has now been laid to rest, she said.
It was also alleged that Nuru refuted the accusations, choosing instead to take a leave of absence while the bank looked into the claims.
In 2016, a 48-year-old artisan confessed that his second child was the property of another man, leading him to petition an Ikorodu Customary Court in Lagos for the dissolution of his marriage.
The 10-year-old pair was split up by the court president, Mrs. Omolara Abiola, after it was determined by a DNA test that the second child was not his.
A Nollywood actor by the name of Yomi Alore, popularly known as Yomi Gold, called for assistance in February of this year due to a purported threat on his life stemming from a paternity scandal involving a Lagos big boy named Mosh and his spouse Doyin Aduke.
Nigerians are becoming concerned due to the increase in paternity fraud instances in numerous households nationwide.
Nigerians articulate various opinions
Although very few cases have been documented, it is widely believed that paternity fraud has upended numerous households.
Paternity fraud cases in the nation necessitated a multifaceted strategy, according to Pius Akah, a lecturer in the Department of Social Work at the University of Calabar.
In order to lessen the prevalence and effects of paternity fraud throughout the nation, Akah—who also served as National Auditor for the Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW)—maintained that a mix of legislative actions, outreach programs, and support services are required.
The 44-year-old man and his family are surely facing a significant emotional burden in the wake of this news.
From the perspective of a social worker, it is imperative to address this circumstance with compassion and a dedication to promoting understanding.
Creating a secure space for the man to communicate his emotions and worries could be the first step in intervention. Providing family counseling services can encourage honest communication and help all family members work through the range of emotions brought on by this revelation.
The main goals ought to be restoring trust, encouraging resiliency, and making sure the children involved are safe. Along with helping the male create a network of support to help him through this unanticipated and extremely taxing trip, the social worker may also point the family in the direction of legal options.
The main goal is to facilitate understanding, healing, and eventually a route towards a more positive family dynamic.
“A multifaceted approach is necessary to address the issue of paternity fraud. Campaigns for education and awareness can aid people in realizing the value of openness and honesty in interpersonal relationships.
Updates to paternity testing laws to guarantee reliable and easily accessible procedures may be the main goal of legal reforms.
“To assist people and families in coping with the emotional fallout from such disclosures, counseling services must to be easily accessible.
Furthermore, encouraging honest communication and respect for one another in interpersonal relationships might help to avoid such circumstances.
He said, “In general, a mix of legislative actions, educational programs, and support services can work together to reduce the occurrence and impact of paternity fraud.”
The administration of paternity testing ought to be governed by laws. — Marriage counselor
Marriage counselor Mrs. Elizabeth Adamolekun pointed out that the government ought to step up and establish a law governing paternity testing.
The government ought to take the initiative to regulate the process, she continued.
We need to take a comprehensive approach, she said. It is necessary to ascertain whether the apparatus utilized and the outcome are unaffected.
If such is indeed the case, we must examine the terms of the couple’s agreement before declaring the lady at blame.
“We must confirm whether the man’s reproductive organs are healthy and viable. In certain instances, a guy may arrange for his friends or family to help him become pregnant with the lady if his sperm is infertile.
“This case has affected society as a whole in addition to the family. It displays the moral decay that permeates society. The administration needs to step up to the plate.
A lawyer can request that a court order DNA testing.
The law is unambiguous when it comes to a child’s paternity, according to attorney Sam Tokz of Jos.
Toks, a former president of the University of Jos Students’ Union Government, asserted during his speech that the Supreme Court has ruled that there is presumed paternity for children born within an active marriage.
He continued by saying that the court may require DNA testing if there was any doubt about a child’s paternity.
“Yes, questions about a child’s paternity are clearly covered by law. The presumption of paternity for a child born during an active marriage has been established by the Supreme Court.
“If there is doubt about a child’s paternity, the court may, at its discretion, require that DNA testing be done. It is more of a civil liability than a criminal liability, based on the authorities I have read thus far. Everything depends on the specifics,” he remarked.
A public health expert believes that men should make DNA testing commonplace in the first several weeks after giving birth.
If a man does not trust his wife, public health professional Opeyemi Akindele, a pharmacist, suggested that he set aside money for DNA testing.
In the first few weeks after giving birth, he also advised men to normalize DNA testing.
After intercourse, he advised women who see men other than their husbands to take emergency contraceptives.
“We have to get to a place where people appreciate waiting to get married before having sex. Many of the problems will be avoided by it.
The wife should take a pregnancy test before they can have sex again if the husband has not had sex with her in a few weeks and he fears she is having an extramarital affair.
“Given that mistrust is incomprehensible in a marriage, this sounds rather strange.
“Secondly, men ought to make DNA testing commonplace during the first few weeks after giving birth. If your wife doesn’t inspire you, put money aside for a DNA test. That will prevent headaches for you.
After having sex, women who see men other than their husbands should take emergency contraception to prevent situations like this one.
He said, “The Nigerian government supports emergency contraceptive drugs, which are widely available and affordable.”
If the spouse is unsure, the DNA behavior is not sinful – Deaconess
Mrs. Funmi Ogundipe, a deaconess at a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) church in Oyo State, stated during her speech that the Bible contains no references to DNA prohibition.
According to Ogundipe, if a father is unsure about his child’s paternity, he can test the child’s DNA.
“A spouse can use DNA testing if he is unsure of his child’s biological father.
The Bible states nothing to the effect that DNA testing should not be done. It is an issue of preference. Couples should trust each other,” she said.
