Society Editor
By Tolu Adesuwa Igiehon
A prominent coalition seeking justice for the late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba (Mohbad), has raised strong objections to what it describes as an orchestrated attempt to shut out the singer’s father, Joseph Aloba, from the DNA verification process involving Mohbad’s son, Liam.
The organisation, Team Justice for Mohbad in Nigeria and the Diaspora, issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday criticising recent courtroom developments and questioning the involvement of state authorities in what it insists is a private family matter.
Their reaction follows a December 2 court session in Lagos, where the judge declined the fresh application filed by Aloba’s new legal team. The lawyers had sought approval for a dual-laboratory DNA analysis—one in the United States and another in the United Kingdom—with sample collection to be handled by internationally accredited experts appointed by Aloba.
However, the court stepped down the application and instead proposed that samples be collected under its supervision and shipped to an unidentified laboratory overseas, a move the coalition says violates global standards of transparency and chain-of-custody procedures.
Group Says Father Has the Legal Right to Control DNA Process
In a statement signed by spokesperson Toby Bart, the coalition argued that the right to request and control the DNA process lies primarily with the individual contesting paternity, adding that such procedures remain private medical matters unless ordered by a court or required for forensic investigation.
The group insisted that no Lagos court has issued a binding DNA order and noted that the police investigation report does not classify the DNA as a forensic requirement.
“The state has no lawful reason to interfere in a personal DNA matter,” the group declared, warning that state involvement without legal grounding could jeopardize public trust.
The coalition also questioned why the government continues to play an outsized role in the matter, citing earlier controversies—including the hurried exhumation of Mohbad’s body and the heavily debated autopsy and toxicology reports that have yet to resolve the cause of death more than two years later.
According to the statement, any attempt to obscure or alter the DNA process by restricting who participates, or by using laboratories not openly disclosed, could deepen suspicions and spark further public backlash.
The group stressed that only a process that follows internationally recognised handling standards can ensure credibility.
“Justice must be clean, transparent, and beyond manipulation. Anything less invites doubt and destroys confidence,” the statement added.
Family Says Delay in DNA Test Stalling Mohbad’s Burial
Joseph Aloba, who was also present during the December 2 court sitting, reiterated that the prolonged delay in conducting the DNA test is the primary reason the family has not proceeded with the late singer’s burial.
Mohbad has remained unburied since his controversial death more than two years ago—a situation the family describes as emotionally draining and culturally unsettling.
The renewed dispute adds to ongoing tensions between the Aloba family and the late singer’s widow, who has filed legal caveats to prevent unauthorized administration of Mohbad’s estate. Previous disagreements between both parties have also centred on surname use and the insistence by Mohbad’s relatives that a DNA test is necessary to confirm the paternity of the child.
The coalition urged authorities to step back and allow the process to be handled through a transparent, mutually agreed-upon procedure that respects legal rights, medical ethics, and public expectations for fairness.
As the stalemate deepens, Nigerians at home and abroad continue to demand answers—not only about the DNA test but about the unresolved circumstances surrounding the death of one of Afrobeats’ most promising talents.
