Mohbad: Group Rejects Court-Ordered DNA Test in Paternity Dispute

The advocacy group, Team Justice in Nigeria and the Diaspora, comprised of supporters of the late singer Mohbad, has spoken out against efforts to prevent Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, from overseeing the current DNA testing intended to establish the paternity of his grandson, Liam.

The group stressed that Aloba has the legal authority to supervise the procedure.

Aloba had previously stated in a widely shared video that Mohbad’s burial would only take place once the DNA test was completed.

Team Justice coordinator Toby Bart said in a statement, “There was no legal or moral basis for the government or any agency to take over the procedure or insist on state-supervised sampling in what is a purely family-initiated matter.”

He added, “The law is straightforward. The person who contests paternity and requests a DNA test controls the process. In this case, that person is Mohbad’s father. DNA tests are private medical procedures unless ordered by a court or required within a criminal investigation. No Lagos court has ordered a DNA test, and the police report does not classify the DNA as a forensic necessity. Therefore, the state has no lawful jurisdiction to impose itself.”

The controversy follows a recent development at the Magistrates Court in Ikorodu, where an application filed by Aloba’s lawyer, Oladayo Ogungbe, was reportedly set aside. The application sought for DNA samples to be collected by Aloba’s expert team and tested in two independent laboratories in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Ogungbe stated that the court instead recommended that the samples be collected under its supervision and sent to an unspecified foreign laboratory.

Rejecting this arrangement, Team Justice said: “There is no justification for excluding Baba from the process he initiated or replacing an internationally verifiable multi-lab plan with an unnamed foreign lab.” The group further cautioned that involving the same agencies linked to Mohbad’s “controversial exhumation” and the “inconclusive autopsy and toxicology report” could compromise public confidence.

The group also set strict requirements for the DNA testing: samples must be collected by Aloba’s expert team, testing must occur in two separate labs in the US and UK, and the chain of custody must follow internationally recognised standards.

“Justice cannot be selective or shielded. It must be visible, verifiable, and beyond interference. 

We stand with Baba Mohbad and with every Nigerian demanding accountability and transparency. The truth must be established in a way that leaves no room for doubt. As we await the Certified True Copy of today’s ruling, we encourage the family to appeal this decision immediately,” the statement concluded.

This latest development underscores the growing tension between Mohbad’s family and his widow, Wunmi Adebanjo, regarding the paternity of their son and control over the late singer’s estate. In November, Mohbad’s family renewed calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

After his passing at 27 on September 12, 2023, the Lagos State Police Command set up a 13-member special investigation team to examine the case. Aloba had previously filed petitions at the Ikorodu Coroner’s Court to determine the cause of death, with the DNA test now expected to resolve the paternity dispute.