Eku Hospital Exposes Viral DNA Test Claims: No Free Paternity Programme, No 50 Fraud Cases in Delta – Medical Director

By Ezekiel Kagbala

The management of Eku Baptist General Hospital, Eku, Delta State, has debunked viral social media reports alleging that the facility offers free DNA testing and has recorded more than 50 cases of paternity fraud, describing the claims as spurious, misleading and completely false.

The hospital also dismissed a sensational claim that a man discovered through DNA testing that none of his five children was biologically his, insisting that no such incident or paternity fraud investigation had been recorded at the facility.

Speaking with our correspondent on Monday, the Medical Director and Managing Director of the hospital, Dr Chris Njogu, said the institution had neither introduced nor operated any free DNA testing programme.

Njogu explained that Eku Baptist General Hospital was a secondary healthcare facility without the specialised equipment, laboratory infrastructure and technical capacity required to conduct DNA testing.

He maintained that such specialised investigations were ordinarily carried out in teaching hospitals and appropriately equipped diagnostic laboratories.

The clarification comes amid viral videos and posts circulating on TikTok, Facebook and other social media platforms, claiming that the hospital was conducting free paternity tests and had uncovered dozens of cases of alleged paternity fraud.

The claims, which generated widespread public reactions, also fuelled discussions about marital distrust, disputed paternity and alleged revelations involving multiple children.

However, the hospital's position raises serious questions about the credibility and origin of the viral reports, particularly the specific allegation involving a father of five and claims of more than 50 paternity fraud cases.

In a separate clarification, an official of the Delta State Ministry of Health, Mr Paul Iwara, disclosed that the ministry had not initiated any programme offering free DNA or paternity testing anywhere in the state.

The ministry's position further contradicts suggestions that the purported initiative was government-sponsored or part of an official public healthcare intervention.

Beyond the hospital's denial, the controversy highlights the growing danger of unverified medical information circulating on social media, especially claims capable of triggering family crises, damaging reputations and undermining public confidence in healthcare institutions.

DNA testing and paternity investigations are sensitive matters with potentially far-reaching consequences for families. Consequently, the publication of fabricated statistics or unverified claims about alleged paternity fraud can inflict serious emotional and social damage.

The hospital management has therefore urged members of the public to disregard the viral reports, while residents are advised to verify information about medical services and government health programmes directly with the relevant authorities.

For now, the facts established by the hospital management and the Delta State Ministry of Health are clear: 

Eku Baptist General Hospital does not operate a free DNA testing programme, the state government has not announced such an initiative, and the allegations involving a man with five children and more than 50 paternity fraud cases have been dismissed as false.