Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Former military
Head of State retd; yesterday accepted fathering a love child with the late
public relations expert, Princess Edith Ike Okongwu, bringing to an end the
48-year-old paternity dispute over Musa Gowon.
Musa Gowon, who returned to Nigeria at the end of last year,
after about 23 years in a United States prison, was acknowledged by Gen. Gowon
upon the report of a conclusive DNA test. The paternity dispute was the subject
of a legal action that reached the Supreme Court in Nigeria, which Okongwu won.
Young Musa was sentenced to 27 years
in prison and was only released last November on compassionate ground and good
behaviour. He was said to have pursued graduate school from prison and was of
exemplary behaviour. In 2003, while in US custody he lost his mother, Princess
Edith Ike Okongwu
In acknowledging Musa as his son in a
statement issued yesterday, Gen. Gowon, now 81 nevertheless asked for privacy
after a very difficult period. He said: “Following years of doubts and
speculation, a DNA test was recently conducted to ascertain the paternity of
Musa Gowon, who recently returned to the country. ”The results of the tests
were conclusive, and they confirm his paternity.
We, the family, are working to
assist in his rehabilitation following a very difficult period in his life. ”As
we look forward to the future with faith in God, we request that our privacy be
respected.”
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