Adaobi Alagwu absent again as court adjourns Tunde Ayeni’s paternity case to March 4

An Abuja customary court has adjourned until March 4, a suit filed by a businessman Tunde Ayeni denying a child given birth to by Adaobi Alagwu.

Ayeni, a former chairman of the board of directors, Skye Bank Plc, has been in the public eye over a paternity tussle with Alagwu, an Abuja-based lawyer.

Alagwu claimed they dated in 2019 and that she welcomed a child with Ayeni in the United States in 2022.

The businessman, however, denied the allegations and insisted that he “is not in any way connected to the child”.

Alagwu has failed to appear in court for the second time on Monday, prompting the adjournment until March 4.

The court had previously summoned the lawyer to answer questions on Ayeni’s suit, but she was absent on both February 11 and 17.

During the last court sitting, Silas Onu, Ayeni’s counsel, withdrew an earlier suit due to improper service and filed a fresh petition, which was properly served on Alagwu.

Alagwu’s counsel apologized for her absence and confirmed receipt of the suit, stating they were still within time to file their defense.

The court also inquired about a sum paid by Ayeni to Alagwu’s family, which her counsel confirmed had been refunded.

TheCable Lifestyle recently obtained a DNA test report, which attributed a “99.9999997% probability of paternity” to Ayeni.

The now-disputed report allegedly identified Ayeni as the biological father of Alagwu’s child.

The DNA test, conducted at the DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC) in London on April 11, 2023, stated that “the alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child”.

In his response, Ayeni claimed the certificate was “fake and compromised,” citing “irregularities in the DNA testing process”.

He alleged that Alagwu and her associates hacked into the email accounts of the laboratory responsible for the DNA test and inserted a fake document to support her claims.

The businessman reiterated that he has no “biological relationship with Alagwu’s child” and is seeking a new, independent DNA test to confirm his position.