March 19, (THEWILL) — The ongoing paternity dispute involving late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has suffered a setback as two of the three laboratories approved by the court have declined to conduct post-mortem DNA testing on his embalmed remains.
Counsel to the Aloba family, Oladayo Ogungbe, disclosed the development in a statement on the proceedings before the Magistrate Court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos State, where the DNA test is being sought to determine the paternity of Mohbad’s alleged son, Liam.
Ogungbe explained that the situation arose due to the condition of the late singer’s body, which had been embalmed following his death in September 2023, making the DNA process dependent on specialised tissue extraction techniques.
He noted that the DNA analysis contemplated by the court necessarily involves post-mortem extraction from tissue samples, a procedure that not all laboratories are equipped to handle.
The affected laboratories include Alpha Bio Labs, Warrington, United Kingdom, nominated by Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi, and Advanced Histopathology Laboratory Limited, London, which was independently selected by the court through the Welfare Officer.
According to the Aloba family’s counsel, both laboratories confirmed, in response to preliminary inquiries, that they do not conduct DNA testing involving tissue extraction from embalmed bodies.
However, the third approved laboratory, DNA Diagnostics Center, Fairfield, Ohio, United States, nominated by the applicant, is yet to be ruled out and may become central to resolving the issue.
The development follows a directive issued on February 24, 2026, by Magistrate B.A. Sonuga, mandated that the paternity test be conducted across three laboratories jointly agreed upon by the parties and the court to ensure transparency and credibility.
Court records indicate that the collection and transmission of samples are to be supervised by a Social Welfare Officer in the presence of all parties and their legal representatives.
The documents further reveal that the laboratories were selected through a tripartite arrangement involving both parties and the court, underscoring efforts to maintain neutrality in the process.
Ogungbe stated that representatives of Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, had undertaken due diligence by contacting the laboratories ahead of time to confirm their technical capacity for the specialised procedure.
He added that the responses received from the laboratories have now been formally filed before the court through an Affidavit of Facts to ensure transparency and proper documentation of the new development.
The counsel also dismissed suggestions that the applicant deliberately chose laboratories lacking the competence to conduct the required test, describing such claims as misleading.
He maintained that all steps taken by the family were guided by good faith and adherence to due process.
The latest twist is expected to shape proceedings at the next hearing scheduled for April 2, 2026, as the court considers the way forward in the paternity dispute.
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