Group Rejects Moves to Exclude Mohbad’s Father from DNA Process
A support group, Team Justice in Nigeria and the Diaspora, has condemned attempts to exclude the late singer Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, from the ongoing DNA process to determine the paternity of his grandson, Liam.
The group insisted that Aloba retains the legal right to oversee the testing process.
Aloba had previously stated in a viral video that Mohbad would only be buried once the DNA test was completed.
In a statement signed by its coordinator, Toby Bart, Team Justice argued that there is neither a legal nor moral basis for any government agency to take over the procedure or impose state-supervised sampling, describing the matter as “purely family-initiated.”
“The law is straightforward. The person who contests paternity and requests a DNA test controls the process. In this case, that person is Mohbad’s father. DNA tests are private medical procedures unless ordered by a court or required in a criminal investigation. No Lagos court has mandated this DNA test, and the police report does not classify it as a forensic necessity. Therefore, the state has no lawful jurisdiction to intervene,” the statement read.
The Magistrates Court in Ikorodu reportedly set aside a fresh application filed by Aloba’s new lawyer, Oladayo Ogungbe, on Tuesday,
The application had requested an open DNA process conducted in two independent laboratories in the United States and the United Kingdom, with samples collected by Aloba’s chosen experts,
The court, however, suggested that samples be taken under its supervision and sent to an unspecified foreign laboratory,
Rejecting the court’s position, Team Justice said, “There is no justification for excluding Baba from the process he initiated or replacing an internationally verifiable multi-lab plan with an unnamed foreign lab,”
The group also warned that allowing state agencies involved in the “controversial exhumation” and who produced an “inconclusive autopsy and toxicology report” to supervise the DNA process could further erode public trust,
It outlined non-negotiable conditions for the test, samples must be collected by Aloba’s experts, testing must occur in two separate labs in the US and UK, and all procedures must follow an internationally recognised, transparent chain of custody,
“Justice cannot be selective or shielded. It must be visible, verifiable, and beyond interference. We stand with Baba Mohbad and with every Nigerian demanding accountability and transparency. The truth must be established in a way that leaves no room for doubt. As we await the Certified True Copy of today’s ruling, we encourage the family to appeal this decision immediately,” the statement concluded,
OSUN DEFENDER had reported that Mohbad’s family renewed calls for a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death,
The family, through a statement signed by Omolayo Aloba and Joseph Aloba, also directed Mohbad’s partner, Wunmi Adebanjo, to stop using the family surname, Aloba, pending the outcome of the court-ordered DNA test,
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between the late singer’s family and his widow over the paternity of their son and control of Mohbad’s estate,
Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Aloba, died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 27,
Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command set up a 13-man special investigation team to probe the circumstances surrounding his passing,
Earlier in 2024, Aloba had filed an application at the coroner’s court in Ikorodu to determine the cause of Mohbad’s death and later demanded a DNA test to resolve the paternity dispute,
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
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