A Lagos State Magistrate Court sitting in Ikorodu has formally approved the use of three international laboratories to conduct DNA testing for Liam, the son of the late singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, widely known as Mohbad. The decision, announced on Friday, February 27, 2026, marks a significant procedural step in the long-running paternity dispute between the singer’s father, Mr. Joseph Aloba, and his widow, Wunmi.
Oladayo Ogungbe, counsel to Mr. Aloba, disclosed that the court has authorized one laboratory in the United States and two in the United Kingdom to handle the testing. “The court has eventually picked three DNA Laboratory centres, two in the United Kingdom and one in the United States. One from us, one from them, and the court picked an independent one,” Ogungbe stated, explaining that this triple-test approach was designed to ensure absolute transparency and prevent any manipulation of the results.
The move to foreign laboratories followed concerns from the Aloba family regarding the capability of local facilities to conduct the required tissue-based testing, especially since the family has sought to use samples from the late singer’s remains.
To maintain a clear chain of custody, the court ruled that representatives from all parties, including both the widow and the father, must be present during the collection of samples. “Everybody is going to be present where the sample will be taken. The process must be transparent,” the lawyer added, noting that the presence of multiple international results will make any potential “foul play” immediately obvious if the outcomes do not match.
The legal battle over Liam’s paternity has been a central theme in the controversy surrounding Mohbad’s death in September 2023, with his father insisting on the test as a prerequisite for the singer’s final burial.
While Wunmi has consistently maintained that her late husband is the biological father of the child, she has previously expressed frustration over what she described as the “unnecessary delays” and emotional toll of the protracted legal process.
The court has now adjourned the matter to April 7, 2026, for the formal reporting of the sample collection, which will be strictly monitored by court-appointed welfare officers.
