Paternity Fraud is Civil Matter, Not Police Case, Says Delta Command Spokesman, Bright Edafe

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Feb 23, 2026 #Bright Edafe paternity fraud, #compulsory DNA test Nigeria debate, #Delta police paternity case, #Delta State Police Command news, #DNA test debate Nigeria, #Nigeria family law paternity, #paternity fraud civil matter Nigeria, #Uvwie Delta paternity story

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The Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command, Bright Edafe, has triggered widespread debate online after stating that alleged paternity fraud cannot be treated as a criminal matter by the police.

Edafe made the clarification in a post on X while recounting a case said to have occurred in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

According to him, the issue began when a man asked to use his wife’s phone and noticed a message from another man referring to two children.

“Should DNA test be made compulsory at child birth?” Edafe wrote. “There is a serious issue in Uvwie LGA Delta State, where a man asked to use his wife’s phone. While he was at it, a message popped up from a mystery man saying, ‘How are my two kids?’”

The police spokesman said the discovery prompted the man to investigate further.

“The man, out of shock, decided to check further. He discovered that his wife had more than twenty male sexual partners,” he wrote.

Edafe added that the man, now over 50 years old, eventually carried out DNA tests on the three children he had raised.

“To cut the long story short, the man who is now 50 plus years old carried out a DNA test for their three children. Guess what? None of the three children belongs to him,” he said.

According to him, attempts were made to involve the police in the matter, but the case fell outside criminal jurisdiction.

“They attempted to make it a police case. Unfortunately, it is not a police case. It is a civil matter and can only be addressed by the court,” Edafe stated.

The post quickly circulated across Nigerian social media, prompting intense discussion about paternity disputes, marriage, and the growing use of DNA testing in the country.

Many users agreed with the police spokesman’s explanation that such disputes fall within family and civil law rather than criminal investigation.

Others argued that paternity deception should attract legal consequences and called for reforms.

The incident has also revived calls in some quarters for compulsory DNA testing at birth, an idea that has repeatedly surfaced in Nigeria’s public discourse.

Legal practitioners note that questions of biological parentage, child custody, and maintenance are typically decided by courts. Police involvement generally arises only where other offences such as forgery, impersonation, or financial fraud are alleged.

For now, Edafe’s remarks have once again drawn attention to the limits of police authority in domestic disputes while highlighting the legal complexities surrounding paternity issues in Nigeria.