The family of late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has asked for the postponement of the DNA test to determine the paternity of his son, Liam, pending the disclosure of the United States laboratory expected to analyse the samples.
The family said it needed details of the foreign laboratory and the procedures for handling the samples to ensure the credibility of the exercise scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at the Mainland General Hospital/IDH, Yaba, Lagos.
In a statement signed by the family head, Samuel Aloba, and sent to PUNCH Metro on Thursday, the family questioned the decision to collect samples in Lagos and send them abroad for analysis.
It also sought clarification on whether the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, which it said was designated by a court order on May 5, 2026, would conduct the examination or merely collect and dispatch the samples to the US.
The family argued that any departure from the arrangement contemplated by the court order should be explained and, where necessary, referred back to the court for clarification.
It said it wanted the full name and address of the proposed US laboratory, evidence of its accreditation and technical competence, as well as details of the testing procedures.
The family also demanded documentation showing how the samples would be collected, labelled, preserved, transported and examined, alongside safeguards to establish that the specimens received by the foreign laboratory were the same as those collected in Lagos.
“The integrity of the process must be capable of independent verification, from the point of sample collection to the final laboratory report,” the statement said.
It added that the identity of the laboratory should not be withheld from the family on grounds of confidentiality, arguing that transparency was necessary in a process with significant legal and personal consequences.
The family, however, clarified that it was not alleging that the proposed DNA test had been compromised or that any manipulation had been established.
It said its concerns were intended to ensure that the examination produced a scientifically reliable result and would not be open to questions after its conclusion.
The family also raised questions about the handling of biological samples during the post-mortem examination conducted following Mohbad’s death.
It claimed that enquiries suggested that a laboratory to which samples from the earlier process were purportedly sent had not received them or any specimen registered in the singer’s name.
However, it stressed that the claim represented information available to the family and was not a judicial finding or independently established evidence of wrongdoing.
While reaffirming its support for a credible DNA examination to resolve Liam’s paternity, the family urged the relevant authorities to address its concerns before proceeding.
It requested that the exercise be postponed until the outstanding issues were clarified, adequate notice was given to all parties and their lawyers, and further directions were obtained from the court where necessary.
Mohbad died at the age of 27 on September 12, 2023. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command set up a 13-member special investigation team to probe the circumstances surrounding his death.
His father subsequently approached the coroner’s court in Ikorodu to seek an investigation into the cause of death and a DNA test to establish Liam’s paternity.
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