PATERNITY FRAUD: EXPERT CALLS FOR MANDATORY DNA TESTING AFTER BIRTH
0
0
0
0
PATERNITY FRAUD: EXPERT CALLS FOR MANDATORY DNA TESTING AFTER BIRTH
The Managing Director, DNA-Harley and Rainbow Specialised Laboratory, Dr Ademolu Owoyele, has called for the introduction of mandatory DNA paternity tests as part of the birth registration process in Nigeria.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday in Lagos, Owoyele noted that his laboratory had seen an increasing number of requests for paternity tests, with almost half, at 47 per cent of Nigerian men tested discovering that they are not the biological fathers of the children they believed were theirs.
Owoyele added, “It is also important to note that for these people to come, there was already some form of doubt, so there is some form of statistical bias.
“People come to us because of uncertainties in their family lives – whether it’s for emotional reasons, child support issues, or simply to confirm biological ties.”
Explaining how DNA paternity tests are conducted, he said that DNA paternity is typically performed by collecting a buccal (cheek) swab from both the father and the child.
He added, “These swabs, which collect cells painlessly from the inside of the mouth, are then sent to the laboratory, where DNA is extracted and compared. Blood is another sample that can be used, and in some cases, other samples, such as hair or nail clippings, may be used, but this is rare.
“Gone are the days when DNA paternity test results take four weeks and beyond because they are sent out of the country.
“Our clients get their results within seven working days and usually less.”
He also noted that if research is conducted into the firstborn child of many families, it would not be uncommon that a significant number of those firstborns will fail the DNA paternity test.
He explained that this is so because many people engage in multiple relationships, even close to their wedding day.
He maintained, “The Yoruba adage that says it’s the woman that knows the father of the child is not always true and many times not true, as we have seen so many cases where the woman does not know and had to conduct paternity tests on three different men.”
On whether the mother should be tested, Owoyele stated that while not required, it is recommended that the mother participates in the process, emphasising that the mother’s DNA helps to provide a clearer and more accurate result, though the test can still be performed with just the father and child.
A DNA paternity test is a scientific procedure used to determine whether an individual is the biological father or mother of a child.
About The Author
