Two laboratories selected to conduct a paternity test on the son of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad, have declined the procedure, citing policy restrictions on testing embalmed remains. The development introduces a new hurdle in a legal dispute over the child’s lineage between Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, and his widow, Wunmi.
The Magistrate Court in Ikorodu, Lagos State, had three weeks ago approved three international facilities for the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis. The court independently selected Advanced Histopathology Laboratory Limited in London, United Kingdom, while Wunmi nominated Alpha Bio Labs in Warrington, United Kingdom. Mohbad’s father nominated the DNA Diagnostics Centre in Fairfield, Ohio, United States. According to a statement by Joseph Aloba’s legal representative, Oladayo Ogungbe, the two UK-based laboratories—Advanced Histopathology and Alpha Bio Labs—have both indicated they do not perform post-mortem DNA testing involving embalmed bodies. This position was confirmed following preliminary inquiries by Aloba’s team to verify each lab’s technical capacity for the specific requirements of the case.
The need for the test stems from the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death. The singer died under mysterious conditions in September 2023 and was buried the following day. After a public outcry and demands for accountability, his body was exhumed seven days later. In the ensuing legal proceedings, Mohbad’s father formally requested a DNA test to establish paternity of the child, Liam, who is in the custody of the widow. The court’s approval of three laboratories was aimed at facilitating an independent and conclusive verification.
The refusal by the two UK laboratories creates a procedural impasse. Only the US-based facility, the DNA Diagnostics Centre, remains as a court-approved option capable of performing the required test on an exhumed, embalmed body. The next steps will likely involve the court reviewing the remaining laboratory’s confirmation of capacity or potentially reconsidering its list of approved facilities to ensure the test proceeds. The outcome is critical to resolving the familial dispute and providing clarity amid ongoing investigations into the singer’s demise. The situation underscores the technical complexities that can arise in forensic genetic testing, particularly when involving post-burial exhumations.
