“He Raped Me, Threatened My Life” — Woman Accuses Ex-Minister

Hadiza Musa Baffa has accused former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, of raping her in 2014 and threatening her into silence for years. In a video recorded on August 17, 2025, Hadiza tearfully narrated how the senior lawyer and politician allegedly used his influence to intimidate her and her child.

“He has been using his power and status to threaten my life and frustrate me with my child,” she said, insisting that Turaki is the father of her child. She denied authorship of a controversial letter currently in circulation, adding, “I didn’t write any letter and I have no idea about that letter or why the person that wrote it wrote it.”

Hadiza recounted that in September 2014, while she was a student at Base University, Abuja, Turaki’s driver picked her up and took her to a residence in Asokoro. She alleged that the former minister entered her room around 1 a.m. and raped her. “He raped me that night and asked me not to say anything. I was really scared to talk,” she said, recalling how her roommate later noticed something was wrong. She maintained that evidence to support her account would soon be released.

Turaki has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as spurious, politically motivated, and orchestrated to tarnish his reputation. Through his media aide, Lawal Umar, he said police investigations found no evidence to back Hadiza’s claims and that she later withdrew her petition, leading the court to strike out the case. He further alleged that Hadiza’s father later apologized to him and that Hadiza herself once sent him a message expressing regret.

Turaki also dismissed the DNA report currently circulating online, insisting it is unreliable and subject to a restraining order by the court. He said he had kept silent during investigations to avoid being accused of interference but was now compelled to speak because “silence is no longer golden.”

Despite his denial, rights groups and gender advocates have thrown their support behind Hadiza. A coalition of concerned citizens described her ordeal as a harrowing account of alleged sexual abuse, emotional manipulation, and systemic silencing. The group claimed Hadiza suffered eight forced abortions and is now locked in a paternity dispute over her child. They welcomed a recent Magistrate Court ruling ordering a DNA test and urged civil society organizations and women’s groups to monitor the case closely.

The coalition stressed that the abuse of power and status to exploit and silence vulnerable women must not be tolerated and called for legal aid, psychological support, and protection for Hadiza. It also urged public condemnation by women’s groups and professional bodies to deter future abuses. As the hashtag #JusticeForHadiza trends across social media, the group warned that the matter should not be allowed to fade into another fleeting moment of outrage.