When Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, better known as Mohbad, died in September 2023, the country was united in grief.
His death sparked protests, vigils, and a nationwide demand for justice, considering the suspicious nature of his death. Nigerians wanted answers: about the alleged bullying he suffered in his career, about the suspicious circumstances surrounding his passing, and about accountability from those in power.
After his death, he was hurriedly buried the next day in Ikorodu, and according to the late singer’s father, Joseph Aloba, he was buried quickly because of Yoruba customs.
”In Yoruba land, his corpse is not the kind to be kept when both of his parents are still alive, that land where Mohbad was buried is his only land, that is the only land I know him to have owned,” he said.
From Grave to Morgue
After public outrage and clamouring, his body was exhumed and taken to the morgue pending investigations – a move that briefly gave the public hope that answers would finally come.
But almost as quickly as those calls gathered momentum, they were drowned out by a very different conversation: the paternity of his only child, Liam, born of his wife Wunmi.
Two years later….DNA Galore
For nearly two years, social media timelines and even mainstream discussions have been hijacked by endless clamours by unscrupulous content creators over a DNA test. Mohbad’s father consistently demanded it, insisting the child didn’t resemble his late son.
He said in October 2023, “This thing has become a majority thing, not only in Nigeria. So they should do the proper thing at the proper time.”
Father vs Widow
Then in March 2024, he sought the order of the Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos State, for a DNA test, ordering Wunmi to submit her Liam for testing.
February 2025, Mr Aloba swore to sue Wunmi even if the tests proved that Liam was Mohbad’s son.
He said, “I know nothing about Mohbad’s death. When my son passed, Wunmi was the first person I questioned because she was his wife. Even if DNA proves that Liam is my grandson, I will sue her because how can they be taking a five-month-old boy to shows where there are lots of weed smokers?”
Some members of the public joined in, amplifying the pressure, bullying Wunmi from every which way. VeryDarkMan (VDM), a controversial social media personality, known for his outspoken takes on trending social issues, has been a vocal critic of Wunmi for years.
To this day, he has continued to badger her and demand that she conduct a DNA test on her son to prove his relationship to Mohbad. His comments fueled online debates and intensified the scrutiny surrounding the late singer’s death. So much so that Wunmi herself addressed him in a public statement saying:
Regarding the DNA test, I’ve stated repeatedly that I’m willing to cooperate when my father-in-law is ready, and my lawyers are handling it according to the law. However, I will not be dictated to or commanded by you or anyone aside from those mentioned.
If you’re genuinely concerned about DNA testing, I suggest you start by questioning your own paternity. Mind your business and leave me and my family out of your vindictive pursuits.
Others, including celebrities like Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh and Yetunde Bakare, criticised the obsession, calling it insensitive to both Mohbad’s widow and to the memory of the singer himself. Wunmi herself had come out to stress that Mohbad himself never questioned Liam’s paternity, so why should the public?`
In February 2024, Wunmi wrote, “It is disheartening to hear false narratives circulating on social media. My husband never for once questioned the paternity of our Sonshine during his lifetime, and neither did my father-in-law or his family.”
The result of the diversion? Instead of a united front pushing for clarity about Mohbad’s tragic death, the nation has been distracted by speculation over a child who never asked to be the subject of debate.
Now, nearly two years later, a court has ordered Wunmi to conduct a DNA test on Liam.
On one hand, this may finally silence the speculation. On the other hand, it raises a sobering question: Of what use is Liam’s paternity to attaining justice for Mohbad?
