Lawyers to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajde Sanwo-Olu, have invoked the immunity clause in a paternity suit submitted against the governor at the Effurun Division of the Delta State High Court, to prevent him from submitting a sample for a DNA test.
The lawsuit which was filed by a 27-year-old man, Emmanuel Moses, on Wednesday, 7th December 2022, alleges that the Lagos State governor is his biological father. Mr. Emmanuel Moses alleged that his mother, Grace Moses, had told him that Mr Sanwo-Olu fathered him when he pestered her for the identity of his father.
In a 19-paragraph statement submitted to the court, the plantiff claimed that Mr Sanwo-Olu was a staff of a company operating in Delta from 1994 to 1995. The statement added that Mr Sanwo-Olu impregnated his mother in 1994. His mother lost contact with Mr Sanwo-Olu when he relocated from Warri.
Moses Emmanuel claimed that when he realised that the person his mother mentioned as his father has almost exact semblance to the Lagos State governor, he tried to reach him but was unsuccessful. After several failed attempts, he decided to file a lawsuit. He told the court of the hardships he endured having to be raised alone by his poor mother without financial assistance from Mr Sanwo-Olu.
He wants a DNA test to prove his claim and called on the Lagos State governor to waive his immunity and agree to a paternity test.
His lawyer, J.O. Aikpokpo-Martins, prayed the court to compel Mr Sanwo-Olu to “acknowledge and accord the claimant all the rights of a son.” He also urged the court to adjourn the hearing to January 17 to enable the defendant to carry out a DNA test.
Mr Aikpokpo-Martins stated that Templars Law Firm, representing the Lagos governor, had filed a motion to strike out the matter because the governor was not ready to waive his immunity.
Story: Hauwa Mohammed