An Upper Area Court in Kado, Abuja has issued an order restraining the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other police personnel from further investigating the paternity dispute between a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki and the family of a former acquaintance – Ms. Uwani Arabi, pending the determination of a suit the ex-Minister filed.
A judge of the court, Mr. Shehu Ahmadu issued the order in a ruling in which he particularly restrained the IGP and others 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 ruling was on an ex-parte motion filed by Turaki, marked: M/26/2024.
A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the enrolled order, seen by The Nation on Friday, reads: “The respondents are hereby restrained, especially the 4th to 10th respondents from accepting any complaint from the 1st to 3rd respondents, especially the 2nd respondent 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 honourable court.
“This order is given under the hand and seal of the honourable judge.”
Sued by Turaki are Musa Baffa (father), Hadiza Baffa (daughter), Uwani Arabi (mother), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the IGP, 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.
Turaki, in the substantive suit marked: CV/35/2024 claimed to have been falsely accused by Musa Baffa, his (Baffa’s) daughter, Hafiza and estranged wife Ms. Arabi of gathering a female child through Hafiza.
The ex-Minister, who equally claimed to be a benefactor to Hafiza and her mother (Ms. Arabi), denied the paternity of Hadiza’s pregnancy, which resulted in the female child.
Turaki also claimed that Hadiza had a boyfriend who he said was responsible for the pregnancy.
The ex-minister alleged that sometime in 2016, Ms. Uwani, who was his acquaintance in Kano before her marriage to Baffa, called him on the 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 Ms. Uwani to secure admission for her daughter at Bayero University, Kano; Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, or the University of Ilorin.
The ex-Minister added that after some weeks of the previous discussion, Ms. Uwani called and told him that she was coming to Abuja together with Hadiza and begged him to arrange accommodation for them.
He said he obliged by securing an accommodation at Ideal Guest House, Garki which was a furnished apartment that is let out for short or long stays.
He said Ms. 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 Ms. Uwani pleaded with him to serve as Guardian for her daughter, Hadiza.
The ex-Minister stated that he took responsibility for Hadiza’s upkeep, adding that he was surprised to discover that Hadiza connived with her mother to change her surname to Turaki without his knowledge and consent.
He claimed that when Hadiza’s criminal acts became so intense, he drove her away and directed his staff not to allow her close to her office anymore.
Turaki alleged that after walking out on the daughter and the mother for a month or thereabout, Ms. Uwani called him on the phone and requested to see him.
He said during the meeting, Ms. Uwani told him that her daughter was pregnant and she said he was responsible.
Turaki averred that he out rightly denied the allegation describing it as a blackmail.
He alleged that Hadiza’s father, who he said had abandoned the daughter for 28 years, called him around May regarding the issue.
However, in their joint statement of defence, Baffa, Ms. Arabi and Hafiza denied Turaki’s claims.
Hadiza and Uwani stated that, as against his claim, it was the ex-Minister who reached out to Ms. 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.”
They claimed that the plaintiff (Turaki) committed to doing everything for the 2nd defendant because according to him, he considered her as his daughter.
They alleged that it was Turaki who suggested the university, contrary to his claim.
They said Hadiza’s registration fee 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 such a decision, said that at that time she did not suspect that Turaki had sinister motives towards her daughter.
Hadiza averred that she never suspected that Turaki’s benevolence towards her was to take her advantage.
Uwani said contrary to 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.”
Hadiza claimed that it was the ex-Minister who changed her name to “Hadiza Turaki” by putting the 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, and faced physical and emotional trauma when the ex-minister “exploited her under the guise of being her guardian and frequently visited her in the apartments he got for her and severally lured her into having an illicit sexual relationship with him.”
She claimed 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.
Hadiza added that when the plaintiff realised that she was going through psychological and physical trauma, he kept promising to marry her and began to build romantic phone and WhatsApp conversations with her.
She claimed that when she discovered that she was pregnant for Turaki, she informed him and he took several steps, including phone calls made to her trying to compel and push 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 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.
Hadiza claimed that the ex-minister paid for her antenatal, delivery and postnatal care at the Nizamiyye Hospital in Abuja.
Further hearing in the case had adjourned till September 24.
It was learnt that Turaki had filed a similar case before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, with suit number: CV/189/2024.
It was further learnt that he has also filed a motion ex-parte before the High Court of the FCT seeking, among others, to restrain Baffa, Ms. Arabi and Hafiza from further making public comments on the dispute while the case is pending in count.
