The family of late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has demanded the postponement of the DNA test scheduled for Saturday to establish the paternity of his son, Liam, citing alleged lack of transparency, inadequate disclosure and concerns over compliance with a court order.
The family, in a statement issued on Friday, insisted that the exercise, scheduled to take place at the Mainland General Hospital/IDH, Yaba, Lagos, should not proceed until the identity and credentials of the United States laboratory reportedly expected to analyse the samples are disclosed.
The fresh objection threatens to delay the long-running paternity controversy surrounding Liam, whom Mohbad had with his partner, Omowunmi, and which has remained a major source of disagreement within the late singer’s family.
According to the family, it had received information that biological samples would be collected in Lagos and subsequently transported to the United States for analysis, raising questions about the arrangements for the tissue-based DNA examination.
At the centre of its objection is the role of the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, which the family claimed was designated by a court order dated May 5, 2026, to conduct the examination.
The family questioned whether the state-owned forensic centre would personally conduct the DNA analysis or merely collect the samples and forward them to an undisclosed foreign laboratory.
“This raises a fundamental question that must be answered before the exercise proceeds: Is the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre itself going to conduct the examination contemplated by the court, or is it merely going to collect and dispatch samples to another laboratory?” the statement asked.
It argued that where a court has directed a scientific examination to be conducted at a particular institution, all parties are entitled to know how the directive would be implemented.
The family further maintained that if the designated centre intended to engage a foreign laboratory, the arrangement should be explained and, where necessary, submitted to the court for clarification.
It warned that no party should unilaterally alter the arrangements approved by the court without first obtaining the necessary clarification or permission.
Beyond demanding the laboratory’s identity and address, the family requested evidence of its accreditation, details of the testing procedures and assurances that the biological samples would be properly preserved, transported and protected against contamination or alteration.
It also expressed concern over reports that the identity of the American laboratory might only be disclosed to the court, arguing that withholding such information from the parties involved would prevent independent verification of the institution’s credentials and testing procedures.
The family stressed that its position should not be interpreted as an attempt to frustrate the DNA exercise, insisting that its concern was to guarantee the credibility and integrity of the eventual result.
“In a matter as sensitive as Mohbad’s DNA, the result must not merely be announced; it must be demonstrably reliable. The integrity of the process must be capable of independent verification, from the point of sample collection to the final laboratory report,” it said.
The family also raised fresh questions about the handling of biological samples collected during the post-mortem examination conducted after Mohbad’s death.
It questioned the role of the pathologist who collected the samples during the coroner’s inquest, claiming that its enquiries suggested that the laboratory to which the specimens were reportedly sent had neither received them nor registered any specimen in Mohbad’s name.
However, the family acknowledged that the claim had not been independently verified or established by a court.
It consequently appealed to the relevant authorities to address its concerns, ensure strict compliance with the court’s directive and guarantee that accepted forensic procedures were followed throughout the exercise.
The family requested that Saturday’s DNA test be suspended until the identity and credentials of the proposed foreign laboratory were disclosed, outstanding questions resolved, all parties and their legal representatives adequately notified, and any necessary directions obtained from the court.
### Background
Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, following an injection reportedly administered by an auxiliary nurse. He was buried the following day but his remains were exhumed on September 21, 2023, to facilitate an autopsy amid widespread public demands for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
In May 2024, pathologists who conducted the post-mortem examination reported that the cause of death could not be determined because of the advanced decomposition of his body.
Since then, the controversy surrounding his death and the paternity of Liam has continued to generate disputes within the family.
Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, has consistently insisted that Liam’s paternity must be legally established before his late son’s remains can be reburied.
The latest demand for postponement introduces another complication into the protracted dispute, with the family insisting that transparency, proper forensic safeguards and compliance with judicial directives must take precedence over rushing the exercise.
