Court delays ruling on DNA application, urges settlement option

The Chief Magistrates Court in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State has adjourned proceedings on the DNA application filed to determine the paternity of the son of late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.

This followed the collapse of settlement talks between the Aloba family and the respondent – the late Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi.

According to a statement by the representative of the family’s legal team, Monisola Odumosu, which was obtained by According Online on Friday, the court, during its sitting on July 9, 2024, directed both parties to explore an alternative dispute resolution, leading to closed-door negotiations that ultimately failed to yield an agreement.

Odumosu, in the statement, explained that the failed negotiation by both parties was due to some “external factors.”

The statement partly read, “Emmanuel Oroko of Hillceetee Partners, representing Joseph Aloba, informed the court that despite earnest efforts, the settlement talks broke down due to external factors. M.K.O Orire Esq., representing the respondent, confirmed the breakdown in negotiations during the resumed hearing.”

“In response to petitions from both legal teams, the presiding Magistrate, His Honour Mrs A.B Olagbegi-Adelabu adjourned the suit to allow for the hearing of all pending applications related to the DNA test. The court urged the parties to continue exploring settlement options before the next hearing date,” it added.

Before now, the Aloba family’s legal team had applied to the court for a DNA test when the paternity of the child with the late singer’s wife became an issue on social media.

The family, however, insisted on the test while citing the circumstances surrounding the deceased’s death.

The statement also clarified that no spokesperson has been officially designated by the family while disowning any statement made without clearance from its legal team.

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.