The Federal Government’s Independent Investigation Panel (IPP) on the activities of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the police has ordered the conduct of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test to ascertain the actual mother of a disputed six-year-old boy, Elijah Tanko.
Justice Suleiman Galadima (retired), The Chairman of the panel being coordinated by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said the test would be conducted by an independent expert to be engaged by the NHRC.
According to Justice Suleiman the test has become a necessity as there is no satisfying evidence presented by officials of the Nigeria Police force (NPF).
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Esther Tanko, One of the four women claiming to be the mother of the boy, petitioned the panel, stating that the young boy was abducted from her on September 9, 2019 while she was returning from work. Tanko who appeared before the panel, said immediately after the incident she raced to the Bwari division of the police in Abuja to file a report about how her child was abducted from her by a woman and her male accomplice who both drove off in a car after they have succeeded in abducting the child.
She further stated that while she was waiting to get feedback from the police, she saw her son on television being paraded by the police as one those recovered from human traffickers and immediately she visited the police station hoping to take her son back home but was informed that 3 other women had alao come to lay claims of same child. She added that although the police later suggested the conduct of DNA test, the process has remained inconclusive.
Mrs.Tanko further tendered three exhibits “birth certificate”, “polio vaccination card” and “photograph of the boy” to in support of her claim to the child.
Desmond Habila, the investigating police officer (IPO) who handled the case, told the panel that the boy was recovered in Abia State from one Ifeoma Eboniyi and Emmanuel Onyekwere, said to be members of a child abduction syndicate. Habila added that the boy was sold to one Uloma in November 2019 by Ifeoma. He identified the other three women laying claim to the child as Ifeyinwa Vera, Rosemary Chidiebere and Jumui Muniat.
Out of the four women the police said were claiming the child, only Mrs. Tanko attended the panel’s sittings, testified, and tendered exhibits. The others never showed up.
At its siting on Monday, the panel adjourned the case till November 19 for the report of the DNA test. It directed that the NHRC engages experts for the DNA test.
