‘DNA tests destroy marriages, should be banned’ — Nigerian woman says

A Nigerian woman has called for the ban on DNA paternity testing, arguing that the practice is contributing to the breakdown of marriages and families.

The woman made the remarks in a video shared on X, where she questioned why married men would conduct DNA tests on children born within their marriages if they trusted their wives.

She argued that a child born during a marriage should be accepted by the husband as his, regardless of whether the wife may have been unfaithful.

“Men are always cheating, but when a woman cheats and brings in another child, it’s always a problem,” she said.

“Whether a woman cheats or not, so far you’re married to her, any child she brings under your roof is automatically yours.”

According to her, a man who trusts his wife should have no reason to conduct a DNA test.

“There is no need of you conducting a DNA test though. Another question is why are you even getting married to women that you don’t trust? If you must conduct the DNA, that means you don’t trust her. Why are you married to her in the first place?”

The woman repeatedly called for DNA testing to be banned, claiming that it was damaging homes and making marriages more difficult.

“Let them ban DNA. Ban DNA. Ban DNA. DNA is destroying marriages. It’s destroying homes,” she said.

“Ban DNA and see if marriages do not prevail. And see if marriages do not work.”

She also compared present-day marriages with those of previous generations, arguing that DNA testing was not common among their forefathers.

“Every small thing, DNA, DNA. Every small thing, DNA, DNA. Our forefathers did not conduct DNA. Any child that was born under their roof is their child automatically,” she said.

The woman further suggested that infidelity could sometimes be treated as a mistake, saying a woman who cheats may regret her actions without telling her husband because of fear of the consequences.

“She might have just, you know, done this thing mistakenly and she felt remorseful, but she did not tell you about it because she doesn’t know how you’ll react. And she kept it to herself,” she said.

She questioned why a husband would pursue a DNA test if his priority was preserving a peaceful marriage.

“And you will now start conducting DNA for what exactly? Peaceful marriage, you want to just destroy it with your hands.”

Her comments have since sparked reactions online, with the debate touching on paternity, trust, infidelity and whether DNA testing strengthens or threatens relationships.