Our client broke down in tears but his wife wasn’t remorseful – Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong shares experience handling paternity fraud

Some courtrooms echo louder than others — not with arguments, but with silence, tears, and disbelief.

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has shared a sobering account of handling two paternity fraud cases within the space of one week, revealing the deep emotional toll such cases take on the men involved — and the troubling lack of remorse from one of the women accused.

According to Effiong, both men broke down in tears while testifying, moments he described as profoundly affecting, even as a legal professional accustomed to the emotional weight of matrimonial disputes.

One of the cases was heard in open court, where Effiong watched his client struggle to recount how his wife had committed paternity fraud.

“Watching our client break down in tears while leading him to testify about the paternity fraud committed by his wife had a profound effect on me,” he said.

What made the situation more disturbing, he noted, was the wife’s response.

Rather than expressing remorse, the woman reportedly blamed her husband for the deception — a reaction that left both the legal team and observers stunned.

Effiong also revealed that a second client he attended to earlier in the week experienced a similar emotional breakdown upon discovering the truth about the child he had believed was his.

In both cases, DNA testing played a crucial role in uncovering the truth — a development Effiong described as essential in an era where such disputes appear to be increasingly common.

Having represented both men and women in marital cases, the lawyer said his views are shaped by experience rather than bias. Still, he expressed concern about what he sees as a growing trend.

“Paternity fraud seems to be more rampant than we think,” he concluded.

Like a mirror cracking under pressure, Effiong’s account has reignited conversations around trust, accountability, and the quiet emotional damage that paternity fraud inflicts — long before any court delivers its verdict