A Lagos State Magistrate Court sitting in Ikorodu, on Tuesday ordered the conduct of two Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests to determine the paternity of Liam Aloba, the only child of the late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, alias Mohbad.
Magistrate Adefisoye Sonuga issued the order while ruling on an application filed by the singer’s father, Mr. Joseph Aloba, who is seeking to conclusively establish whether the child is his late son’s biological offspring.
“The court hereby orders that two DNA tests be conducted one within Nigeria and another in a recognised and accredited hospital outside Nigeria.
“Both parties or their representatives shall be present when the samples are taken,” Sonuga ruled.
The court also directed that the tests be carried out in government-approved medical facilities and that tissue or hair samples may be taken from the remains of the late singer, currently preserved at the Military Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
The applicant had in his application before the court sought for an order of the court directing the Chief Medical Officer /Chief Pathologist or any other appropriately qualified officer of the Military Hospital Yaba, Lagos, who is in charge of the remains of the late Mohbad presently at the Military Hospital Yaba Lagos, to remove any tissue/ hair or any part of the body of the deceased for the purpose of conducting a DNA test on Liam, at a recognised and accredited government or private medical facility within Lagos State or other agreeable hospital outside the state.
The application also sought an order of the court directing that a DNA test be conducted in relation to the paternity of Liam, being the alleged son of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (the deceased), in a recognised and accredited medical facility outside of Nigeria at the expense of the applicant.
In court papers, Aloba stated that there remains uncertainty regarding the paternity of Liam and given the sensitivity of the matter, it is imperative that the paternity be conclusively settled.
He also noted that paternity is a live issue with regards to determining the respondent’s maintenance obligations and the child’s welfare and the DNA is therefore necessary to avoid further delays and prejudice.
Aloba, through his counsel, Augustine Adegbemi of Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN) & Co., during Tuesday’s proceedings argued that the test was necessary to resolve lingering doubts and public speculation surrounding the child’s paternity.
“There remains uncertainty regarding the paternity of Master Liam Aloba.
“Given the sensitivity of the matter, it is imperative that this issue be conclusively settled to determine maintenance obligations and ensure the child’s welfare,” he said.
In the application brought pursuant to Order 8 Rules 1 & 8 of the Family Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) 2012, and Order 9 Rules 8 & 9 of the Magistrate Courts (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009, he listed Omowunmi Cynthia Aloba, the widow of the late singer, as the respondent.
With no objection from the respondent’s counsel, Magistrate Sonuga granted the order as prayed and adjourned further proceedings to November 11, 2025.
Mohbad, a rising star in Nigeria’s Afrobeats scene, died in September 2023 under controversial circumstances, sparking nationwide protests, calls for investigations, and multiple legal disputes involving his estate, royalties, and paternity claims.
His only child, Liam, was born in April 2023, just months before the singer’s untimely death.
The paternity controversy has generated public attention, with Mr. Aloba publicly demanding a DNA test to confirm his grandson’s identity, a request that initially faced resistance from the widow’s family.
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