Heart break , depression ,  trepidation,  skepticism  and doubt  viciously   INVADE the mind of  some   daddies, fathers  and  Males around  Nigeria  about  the paternity and  DNA  trueness  of a child  born in their  name .

The recent media  Report  of a female  banker  who went  on  Rampage of Adulterous  promiscuity   has further  push out the Subconscious  and  innermost  thoughts of Some Men . Although   the Trending Social media Report has Not been Litmus –tested  on  the  scale of legal mechanism and proceeding,  the matter as it is  now  is merely  speculative ,  unsubstantiated   and as  such  be best   described as PUBLIC  GOSSIP, NOISE ,  TITTLE-TATTLE  and SCUTTLE BUTT.

Contextually this  article is to espouse the salient  legal  issues  in Paternity Fraud   and  when will the need arises  to call for a veritable scientific means of  DNA  (Deoxyribonucleic Acid )  test  to  a ascertain who is the real father of a child

Many a time the  scandalous issue of who is the father of a child  arises   in the determination of  a matter   relating  to   Inheritance, Succession and  Right of a Child  to be financially  Maintain by a  man who  stoutly   denied    be the father of the child  or a man who denied a child on the ground that he has Never  conjugated with the Mother  of the child

(A PATERNITY ISSUES IN MARRIAGE

(i)Legally, during the  subsistence  of  any  Marriage , the Children   who are born into the  Marriage are considered as product and seed of the marriage , there is STRONG LEGAL PRESUMPTION  that the husband  of the Mother of the Child  is the  Actual  father of the Child ( ADEYEMI  V ABAYOMI  ( 2002) FWLR (PT 132) p.136 And section 165 of Evidence  Act  2011

(II)Also when a party has divorced or a Marriage had been dissolved there is  a presumption that  in not more than 280days  if the woman give birth to a child, that  child belongs  to the former  husband ( IBEABUCHI  V IBEABUCHI  LPELR – 412689 (C.A)   and section  84 0f Matrimonial causes Act .

From this principle Above   there is a presumption   that child a born in such a circumstances are CHILDREW  of  the man . A woman CANNOT  on a MERE STATEMENT   transfer   such  children to another  MAN  , there is burden  on the woman  to  prove the Contrary BEYOND REASONABLE  DOUBT   that the husband is not the real father  of the child ( IDAHOSA  v  IDAHOSA )( 2020) 6  NWLR (pt 1720 ) 254 S.C

BUT  It must be stated here pronto when an  issue arises as to who  is the true biological father of a child, , the Court  usually   determine  the Matter  Paternity  of a  Child on the proof of evidence  vide DNA ( test .  OLAYINKA V ADEPARUSI  ( 2011) LPELR – 8691(CA)

One Advantage of  DNA test is that it is More reliable and Incontrovertible

It will be  sheer  wickedness ,  blatant  stubbornness  and  repugnant to natural Justice  to grant the Paternity of child to a man   upon   discovery that the  suppose or  putative father  of the   child  born by his lawfully Married wife  is  Not  real Biological Child   of the Man   (  EDET V ESSIEN )  1972 ) 11 N.LR 47

 

PATERNITY  ISSUE  WHEN A WOMAN ACCUSED  ANOTHER MAN TO  BE  FATHER OF HER CHILD ,WHEN THE MAN IS NOT HER LAWFULLY MARRIED  HUSBAND

It is Not uncommon  to find this embarrassing   and ugly  scenario  in Our  society  to see  a woman   accused  a man  of  haven  engaged  with her in a  Coitus or Amorous   activities  which  resulted to  a child be born , most men in this circumstance  STOUTLY  denied  been the father of a child.

A party who wants the denying father to acknowledge the   Paternity  of  child  must  have  first  lead Evidence to  convince the  Court that  there  was sexual relationship between her  and the denying  party, so that the court can be convinced that there is  need to order DNA(Deoxyribonucleic) TEST

Generally  a  Court will NOT FORCE   parties or help parties  established their ’ case    vide DNA  test   especially in circumstance when the  child in Issue  is an ADULT  (ANOZIA V NNANI  (2015 ) LPELR 24277 (CA)  and Rights to privacy Under section 37 of the Constitution

BUT   when  a Minor or a  child is  to be taken Care of  or  financially  Maintained,  in the best   interest of the Child ,the COURT Can order that DNA test to be conducted between the denying  Man   and the child  in a designated  hospital by the Court  ,note that the woman is to pay the  medical cost of the DNA test

Any willfully or  Voluntary refusal of  the man to subject himself  to  DNA( Deoxyribonucleic ) TEST  on the order of a Court , such an act is highly Contemptuous  and such person can sue  for  contempt  of the Court ( ex facie)

 

PATERNITY ISSUES   ARISING   AFTER   THE DEATH  OF  MAN

One of the most bizarre  issue which   sometimes arose  after the death of a rich Man , is when  a person from the wilderness of unknown  Jupiter  claimed to be the first son of the  deceased (dead)  man , the court  usually  solve this JIZZSAW  PUZZLE    by referring  to this principle of ;

”’WHETHER THE  MAN HAS IN AN  UNMISTAKABLE TERMS  AND  UNEQUIVOCALLY  TERMS  ACCEPTED THE  STRANGE  PERSON  AS HIS  CHILD DURING THE DECEASED LIFE TIME”

Any such  unmistakable terms  MUST BE ON THE EVIDENCE THAT  the decease once  introduce  the  considered ”strange person” as his son to his immediate kingsmen   or Evidence has been Adduce that he had   been SECRETELY taking care of the welfare of the child ( OBASOHAN  V  OBASOHAN  (2019 ) LPELR – 47187 (CA)

When   a  Man had  In  an Unmistakable  Term  REJECT a   child  during his   life  time AND nothing was  legally   done  to point the PATERNITY  to him  the child remain UNKNOWN to the Man

also when the child is of  MAJORITY AGE  is also very important that the child act  TIMEOUSLY  to locate his father

 

REMEDY FOR   VICTIM OF PATERNITY  FRAUD

There are legal means to assuage and mitigate the  excruciating pressing   pain  which a Paternity fraud victim had suffer , parternity fraud arises when  another person  assumes the duty of  a father to  a child of another  Man  on the honest believe that he is the real biological father of the child ,upon the DNA(Deoxyribonucleic  Acid )  discovery that the putative father is NOT genetically match with the supposes child,  at this time  there must have been HUGE FINANCIAL LOSS , LOSS OF TIME  AND  EMOTION TRUMA  incurs  by the Paternity Victim

 

REMEDIES  FOR   VICTIM OF PATERNITY  FRAUD  IN  MARRIAGES

On the revelation  of   DNA(Deoxyribonucleic  Acid ) test  that  the child in the marriage belongs to another  father , what this legally mean, that the woman has committed  ADULTRY  which is a part of the  ONLY  one ground for Dissolution of marriage    ( ADEYEMI V ABAYOMI  (2002 FWLR (pt 132)  136

the putative father can claim  DAMAGES  and  MONEY  against the  REAL  FATHER   and his  Adulterous wife to assuage   for loss of time  and emotion trauma , the man can also  claim  financial  MAINTENANCE  from the woman on the ground that she cause the irretrievable breakdown of the Marriage

 

REMEDIES  FOR   VICTIM OF PATERNITY  FRAUD   FOR  THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN  MARRIAGE

The victim can sue for “TORT OF DECEIT’

Note that a person CANNOT  be sue for Murder or Homicide on the ground that the PUTATIVE FATHER  died of heart attack  when the heard that the Child which he had spent Money belongs to Another person

The Reason is that  pillars of   ACTUS REUS(Physical altercation )AndMENS  REA.(intention)  to  Are Not Conjunctively Present to Make the Real Biological father Criminal Liable for the Death of the PUTATIVE Father

 

 

Article by

Ehidiamen Destiny Odianosen  Esq

Uromi – Abuja based Lawyer