By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
CLAIM
ON Monday, April 1, 2024, Instablog9ja, a verified X (formerly Twitter) page tweeted a post that claimed that the Federal Government of Nigeria has mandated DeoxyriboNucleic Acid, also known as DNA test, for newborn babies, nationwide.
Stonix News reports that DNA test, also known as ‘genetic testing,” is done to determine whether someone is the biological parent of an individual or not. This type of testing is particularly important when a child’s paternity or maternity is in doubt.
The post on the DNA test, which has generated over 1.9m views with 24.4k likes, 4,873 reposts, and over 1000 comments, has become one of the trending issues on X.
“Just In: FG mandates DNA tests for newborns nationwide,” the tweet reads.
Photo of claim
While checking the post, it was discovered that more X users have reposted the post which has also gathered thousands of views and reactions.
One Obidient, a verified X user posted: “Good News
Just In: FG mandates DNA tests for newborns nationwide.
It’s not a good feeling to raise children for years just to realize they’re not yours.”
Just In: FG mandates DNA tests for newborns nationwide.
Verification
In the process of fact-checking the claim, it was discovered that there were no news articles from mainstream media websites informing the public of the development.
A thorough search through the Federal Ministry of Health’s Social Media pages including Facebook, Instagram and X gave no hint on the claim.
However, Stonix News stumbled on a news article on Punch.ng website where the former Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunmimbe Mamora, had debunked a similar claim in January 2022.
It was gathered that that particular claim made the rounds on Twitter where some tweeps were posting about a free DNA test attributing the statement to a Health Minister.
The article read thus: “The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunmimbe Mamora, on Tuesday, debunked news about free deoxyribonucleic acid tests popularly known as free DNA tests for Nigerians.
“The minister disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH In Abuja.
“The PUNCH reports that some Nigerians took to the popular micro-blogging site, Twitter, with claims that the minister had said government hospitals and clinics would conduct free DNA tests.
“The tweets had generated several reactions. While certain individuals expressed joy at the opportunity of exposing paternity fraud, other citizens wondered if the government would be able to finance the free tests.
“A tweep, with the username Chijioke, P.HD, was among the first to tweet about a free DNA test attributing the statement to a Health Minister.
The tweep wrote, There will be free DNA tests in government-owned hospitals from June this year. -Nigerian Health Minister.
“Another tweep, with the username, Omotayo of Lagos, wrote, Nigerian government just announced that starting from June this year, DNA test will be run for free of charge at government hospitals, no more fathering kids that ain’t yours, a big win for Nigerian men and faithful women.
“With this news on free conducting of DNA tests in Government Hospitals and Clinics (if implemented), the High Courts are going to get very busy in the coming months, another user, Maxvayshia, stated.
However, the minister, while speaking with our correspondent, said, ‘This is a false claim. At no point did I or the minister say this. The claims about free DNA tests are not true.’
Photo of Punch publication and link
Photo of Punch publication and link
Furthermore, when our fact-checker contacted the Federal Ministry of Health through the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Jimoh Salaudeen via a text message, it was learnt that the Federal Government mandated nothing of such.
The response from the Director via text read thus: “It’s not true.”
Also, in a phone call, Dr Salaudeen said: “The government has nothing to gain by mandating DNA tests for families. If any parent wants to do a DNA test for their child, it should be their personal decision and not because it was mandated by the government. Even if it’s mandated, how will some families afford it? The test is expensive. So ‘no,’ the Federal government has not mandated DNA tests for anyone.”
Dr Jimoh Salaudeen’s reply
Verdict
Stonix News, therefore, avers that the claim that the Federal Government has mandated DNA tests for newborns nationwide is not only false, but misleading.
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