The family of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has asked authorities to disclose the identity of the United States laboratory expected to conduct the DNA test to determine the paternity of his son, Liam.
The family also wants the examination, scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the Mainland General Hospital/IDH in Yaba, Lagos, postponed until its concerns about transparency and compliance with a court order are addressed.
In a statement signed by the family head, Samuel Aloba, and sent to PUNCH Metro on Thursday, the family questioned plans to collect tissue samples in Lagos and send them to a laboratory in the United States for analysis.
It wants clarification on whether the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, which it said was designated by a court order on May 5, 2026, would carry out the test or simply collect and send the samples abroad.
Mohbad DNA Test: Family Demands US Laboratory Details
The family argued that the distinction was important because the court had directed that a scientific examination be conducted at a designated institution.
It said any plan to use a foreign laboratory for the actual analysis should be clearly explained and, where necessary, referred to the court for clarification.
The statement stressed that no party or institution should independently introduce a substantially different arrangement without appropriate judicial guidance.
The family listed the information it wants authorities to provide before the test proceeds. These include the full name and address of the proposed US laboratory, evidence of its accreditation and technical capacity, and details of the testing procedure.
It also requested documentation explaining how officials would collect, label, preserve, transport and examine the samples.
Another concern is the chain of custody. The family wants a reliable system to establish that the samples collected in Lagos are the same specimens received and analysed by the overseas laboratory.
According to the statement, the family had been told that the laboratory’s identity might be disclosed only to the court. It acknowledged the need to protect legitimate confidential information but argued that confidentiality should not prevent proper verification.
Family Raises Concerns Over Sample Handling
The Aloba family said its demands were not intended to obstruct the judicial process or prevent a valid DNA examination.
Instead, it wants safeguards against possible interference, mishandling or manipulation of the samples. However, it clarified that it was not alleging that the proposed test had already been compromised.
It maintained that the result must be supported by a process that independent parties can verify, from sample collection to the final laboratory report.
The family also referred to concerns it had previously raised about the handling of biological samples during the post-mortem examination connected to Mohbad’s death.
It questioned the role of the pathologist who collected samples during the coroner’s inquest.
The family further claimed that information from its enquiries suggested that the laboratory reportedly assigned to receive samples from the earlier process had not received them or any specimen registered under the name Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba.
It emphasised that these claims represented its account and required clarification. They were not court findings or independently established evidence of wrongdoing by any person or institution.
Mohbad’s Family Wants DNA Exercise Postponed
Despite its concerns, the family reiterated its support for a credible DNA examination to settle the dispute over Liam’s paternity.
It urged the relevant authorities to provide the requested information and ensure that the process follows the court’s order and accepted forensic procedures.
The family consequently asked for the October 31 exercise to be postponed until authorities address the outstanding questions, give all parties and their lawyers adequate notice, and obtain further court directions where necessary.
It said it was not seeking to influence the outcome but wanted a properly documented examination whose findings would command confidence.
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 investigate the circumstances surrounding his passing.
In 2024, reports indicated that the singer’s father, through his lawyers, approached the coroner’s court in Ikorodu to seek an investigation into the cause of death. The family also pursued a DNA test to resolve the paternity dispute.