By Charles Abere
The family of late Nigerian Afrobeats singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known professionally as Mohbad, has issued a public appeal for assistance to conduct a DNA test on the singer’s son, Liam, before final burial rites are held.
Speaking in a video statement, Joseph Aloba, father of the late artist, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Lagos State Government, and the general public to help facilitate the paternity test, which he described as a condition for burial.
“I’m pleading with the entire world, not just Lagos state government, for help. I need to conduct a DNA test so I can finally lay my son to rest. If I bury him now, how will I do the DNA test? Who will I test?” Aloba said.
Mohbad died in September 2023 at age 27. His remains are yet to be buried due to an ongoing legal dispute over the paternity of his son, Liam, between the Aloba family and the singer’s widow, Wunmi.
A Lagos State Magistrate Court sitting in Ikorodu had earlier ordered a DNA test to establish paternity.
The court approved three laboratories: DNA Diagnostics Centre in Ohio, United States; Alpha Biolabs in Warrington, United Kingdom; and Advanced Histopathology Laboratory Limited in London.
According to the family’s legal representative, Oladayo Ogungbe, inquiries revealed that two of the approved laboratories do not conduct post-mortem DNA testing involving tissue extraction from embalmed remains. An affidavit of facts has been filed to notify the court of the development.
Aloba also expressed concerns over transparency in the process, citing the previous toxicology report that was declared inconclusive. He rejected the court’s plan to appoint a “secret” independent laboratory unknown to all parties and requested the right to engage a private pathologist to run a parallel test.
The family stated that efforts to conclude the matter have been repeatedly delayed and called for urgent intervention to ensure a credible and transparent DNA process.
