Should Women Guilty of Paternity Fraud Face Jail Time?

By Fasuyi Tolulope Samuel

Paternity fraud is emerging as a widespread issue, with devastating emotional and financial consequences for men who discover they have been deceived.

This form of betrayal, where a woman falsely identifies a man as the father of her child, is not just a personal wound; it is a legal and ethical issue that demands attention.

Recent cases have brought this deception into the spotlight, raising critical questions about whether women guilty of such actions should face jail time or severe penalties.

Take the case of Nigerian footballer Kayode Olanrewaju, who found out through a DNA test that none of the three children he believed were his actually are.

This revelation came after years of marriage and the emotional investment of raising these children.

Olanrewaju’s wife was allegedly involved in an affair with a well-known pastor, which resulted in all three children being fathered by another man.

The psychological and financial damage of such betrayal is profound, and the legal repercussions are unclear, leaving many to wonder why the perpetrators of paternity fraud are not held more accountable.

Similarly, the case of Vinicius Tobias adds another layer to this issue. Tobias, a rising footballer, went so far as to tattoo the name of his child on his body, only to discover that the child was fathered by another man.

The emotional devastation he experienced mirrors that of Olanrewaju and many others, highlighting the serious, long-term effects of this kind of deceit.Even public figures like Nedu of Wazobia FM are not immune to paternity fraud.

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Nedu, a popular comic presenter, was shocked to learn that the child he had been raising was not biologically his. His ex-wife admitted that she had allowed him to believe the child was his, despite knowing the truth all along.

Nedu’s case demonstrates that paternity fraud is not limited to any particular group or status; it can happen to anyone, with similarly devastating results.

Despite the emotional and financial turmoil caused by paternity fraud, the legal system remains largely silent on the punishment for such acts. Should women who commit paternity fraud face jail time? Or should there be other forms of severe penalties?

Those who support criminalizing paternity fraud argue that it is no different from any other form of deception or fraud. When a man is deceived into believing he is the father of a child, he often pays child support, contributes financially, and invests emotionally—sometimes for years—only to later discover that he has been living a lie.

Kayode Olanrewaju, for example, is now facing the possible loss of assets accumulated during his football career as a result of the fraud.

Vinicius Tobias and Nedu experienced similar emotional turmoil. Shouldn’t the women who commit this kind of fraud face serious consequences, including jail time?

Opponents argue that jailing these women might not always be the right solution, particularly when the well-being of the child is considered. Instead, they suggest that civil penalties, such as compensatory damages for emotional and financial harm, may be a more balanced approach.

For example, financial restitution could help ease the burden on men like Nedu, who has been supporting a child who isn’t his own. Nonetheless, the rise in such cases points to a glaring gap in the legal system.

With the lives of men like Olanrewaju, Tobias, and Nedu being upended by such profound betrayal, there is a growing demand for legal reform to address paternity fraud.

Whether through criminal prosecution or severe civil penalties, it is clear that the current legal framework does not sufficiently protect men from this devastating form of deception. The time for change is long overdue.