The family of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has demanded the full identity and credentials of a United States laboratory expected to conduct a DNA test to establish the paternity of his son, Liam.
The family is also seeking a postponement of the examination scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at Mainland General Hospital, also known as Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, pending clarification of concerns surrounding the testing arrangements.
In a statement signed by the family head, Samuel Aloba, the family questioned whether the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, reportedly designated under a court order issued on May 5, 2026, would conduct the examination itself or simply collect samples in Nigeria and send them to the United States for analysis.
The family argued that the distinction was important because the parties needed to understand how the testing arrangements would comply with the court’s directive.
It maintained that any significant change to the process contemplated by a subsisting court order should be properly explained and, where necessary, referred back to the court for clarification.
Family demands laboratory details
The Aloba family is requesting the proposed laboratory’s full name and address, evidence of its accreditation and technical competence, and details of the scientific procedures to be used.
It also wants clear documentation showing how samples will be collected, labelled, preserved, transported and examined.
Another major concern is the chain of custody — the documented process used to track biological samples from the point of collection until they reach the laboratory and are analysed.
The family said there must be a reliable mechanism for confirming that the samples collected in Lagos are the same specimens received and tested by the overseas facility.
According to the statement, the family had been informed that the identity of the proposed US laboratory might only be disclosed to the court. It argued, however, that confidentiality should not prevent the parties from verifying the laboratory’s suitability and the integrity of the process.
The family stressed that its demands were not intended to obstruct the DNA test or prevent the resolution of the paternity dispute.
Instead, it said the outcome must be scientifically credible and capable of independent scrutiny, given the legal and personal consequences involved.
Questions raised over earlier laboratory process
The family also linked its latest concerns to questions it had previously raised about the handling of biological samples during the post-mortem examination conducted in connection with Mohbad’s death.
It questioned the role of the pathologist involved in collecting samples during the coroner’s inquest.
The family further claimed that information obtained through its enquiries suggested that a laboratory reportedly linked to an earlier testing process had not received the relevant samples or any specimen registered in Mohbad’s name.
However, these remain claims made by the family and have not been established as findings of a court. The family itself acknowledged the need for clarification and verification, and did not present the allegations as proof that any individual or institution had deliberately mishandled the samples.
The family insisted that the proposed DNA examination must be protected against possible interference, contamination or sample substitution, although it did not claim that the forthcoming test had already been compromised.
A dispute that has lasted years
Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 27. His death triggered widespread public concern and investigations, while disagreements involving his family and widow, Omowunmi Aloba, have continued over several matters, including the paternity of Liam.
The paternity dispute has generated repeated legal applications and disagreements over the appropriate testing method, the laboratories to be used and the safeguards required to ensure a credible result.
Mohbad’s family has maintained that it supports a DNA test using the late singer’s own biological tissue to establish paternity, rather than relying on samples from relatives.
The latest request for a postponement is intended to give the parties time to obtain the outstanding information, provide adequate notice to their legal representatives and seek further judicial directions if necessary.
The family said it was not attempting to predetermine the result but wanted a process whose findings could be trusted by all parties.
With the scheduled examination approaching, attention is now on whether the concerns will be addressed and whether the test will proceed as planned.
For the Aloba family, the priority is that the question of Liam’s paternity be resolved through a transparent, properly documented and scientifically reliable process.
