Two months after the coroner’s inquest into the death of singer Ilerioluwa “Mohbad” Aloba, which recommended the prosecution of auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, the singer’s family have returned to the spotlight.
This time over the paternity of Mohbad’s son, Liam.
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PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mohbad’s relatives have remained embroiled in controversies since his death on 12 September 2023, ranging from Liam’s paternity, autopsy and disagreements over his properties.
Among these disputes, Liam’s paternity has been the most prominent. In several interviews, Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, publicly urged his late son’s widow, Wunmi, to submit the child for a DNA test.
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He further alleged that Mohbad expressed doubts about Liam’s paternity before his passing.
A development in the matter came on Tuesday when a Magistrate’s Court in Ikorodu ordered that DNA tests be carried out on Liam, Channels Television report.
The order, issued by Magistrate Adefisoye Sonuga, followed an application filed by Mr Aloba seeking a definitive paternity test.
In his application, Wunmi was named as the respondent.
Lawsuit
The suit was brought under Order 8, Rules 1 and 8 of the Family Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2012, and Order 9, Rules 8 and 9 of the Magistrate Courts (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009.
Mr Aloba asked the court to direct the Chief Medical Officer or Chief Pathologist, or any other appropriately qualified officer of the Military Hospital, Yaba, where Mohbad’s remains are kept, to extract tissue, hair or any suitable body sample for the purpose of conducting the DNA analysis.
He requested that the test be carried out in a recognised and accredited government or private medical facility within Lagos, or in another mutually agreed hospital outside the state.
In addition, he sought an order permitting a DNA test to be conducted abroad, in an accredited medical facility outside Nigeria, at his own expense.
Mr Aloba argued that uncertainty over Liam’s paternity persists and, given the sensitivity of the case, it must be conclusively resolved.
He stated that paternity remains an issue in determining the respondent’s maintenance obligations and the welfare of the child, making the DNA test essential to avoid further delay and prejudice.
Ruling
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the TV station said Magistrate Sonuga ordered that two DNA tests be conducted on Liam in accredited and recognised hospitals, one in Nigeria and another abroad.
The magistrate further directed that either Mr Aloba, Wunmi, or their representatives must be present when the samples are collected.
Magistrate Sonuga subsequently adjourned the matter until 11 November.
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At the hearing, Mr Aloba was represented by Augustine Adegbemi of the law firm Wahab Shittu & Co., while Kabir Akingbolu appeared on behalf of Wunmi.
Earlier, this newspaper reported that Mohbad’s father had vowed to sue Wunmi even if DNA results confirmed Liam as his grandson.
He alleged that Wunmi had exposed Liam, then only five months old, to shows where many attendees smoked cannabis.
Mr Aloba, however, stated that if DNA confirmed Liam’s paternity, he would accept him, stressing that he only wanted certainty about the child’s lineage.
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