The father of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has said his son’s remains will not be reburied until the ongoing paternity dispute involving his grandson, Liam Aloba, is resolved through a DNA test.
Joseph Aloba made the remarks after proceedings in the DNA case were adjourned by the Magistrate Court in Ikorodu, Lagos.
Chief Magistrate Salamah Matepo adjourned the matter until 11 August 2026 for the continuation of hearing on a motion filed by counsel to the Aloba family.
Mohbad died on 12 September 2023. His body was later exhumed for an autopsy, and nearly three years after his death, the dispute over a DNA test to determine the paternity of his son, Liam, remains unresolved.
The latest court proceedings followed concerns raised by the Aloba family after two laboratories reportedly nominated by Mohbad’s widow, Omowunmi Aloba, and a welfare officer from the Lagos State Government indicated that they had not conducted the DNA test.
Speaking after the hearing, counsel to the Aloba family, Oladayo Ogungbe, said establishing the child’s paternity would help provide clarity for the family.
He said the family had initially applied for a court-ordered DNA test and later discovered that Omowunmi had also filed a separate application seeking a DNA test for her son.
According to Ogungbe, the family subsequently filed a preliminary objection, arguing that the new suit amounted to a duplication of proceedings on the same matter.
He further stated that an order was granted on 5 May 2026 in a suit filed by Omowunmi against the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development and the Chief Medical Officer at Yaba, without the Aloba family being joined as parties.
Ogungbe said the family had asked the court to set aside the order and had also applied for permission to conduct the DNA test at a court-approved laboratory.
He added that the family objected to a proposal that the court select a DNA laboratory without disclosing its identity to the parties, arguing that transparency was essential given the public interest surrounding the case.
According to him, enquiries made by the family showed that a facility earlier presented to the court was primarily a cancer research centre and not equipped to conduct tissue-based DNA testing.
“The Mohbad case is unique, public confidence is at stake, and any result eventually produced must be beyond reproach,” Ogungbe said.
Speaking separately, Joseph Aloba maintained that the DNA test had become central to both the paternity dispute and the family’s quest to establish the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.
“This DNA test is a must. The issue goes beyond paternity. We are trying to unravel the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death,” he said.
Aloba added that although he had initially buried his son in accordance with Yoruba tradition, the subsequent exhumation and ongoing legal proceedings meant the remains should not be reburied until the DNA process had been concluded.
He said the body remained important evidence in the ongoing efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.
