The legal representative of Wunmi Aloba, widow of the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has dismissed calls from the Aloba family asking her to stop using the late singer’s surname.
Kabir Akingbolu, speaking with Punch on Wednesday, described the family’s request as unlawful and misleading, insisting that Wunmi is legally entitled to retain her late husband’s name.
“Nobody can stop her from bearing Aloba. That is the name given to her by her husband, and under the law, she has every right to keep it,” Akingbolu said. He cited Supreme Court precedent in Ojukwu vs Ojukwu, emphasizing that no one has a monopoly over a surname and noting that there are thousands of Alobas worldwide.
The lawyer also accused the Aloba family of obstructing a court-ordered DNA test. According to him, the family initially demanded the test but repeatedly failed to show up after the court granted the order, switching lawyers multiple times in the process.
“They later requested that the test be conducted abroad. We will not allow that because you cannot choose a hospital for the court,” Akingbolu said, asserting his client’s readiness for the test.
He added, “We are ready for the DNA any time, any day. The child is not a bastard, and my client has nothing to fear; she is a decent woman.”
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Mohbad’s widow and his family over name rights and child verification procedures, with Wunmi maintaining her legal and personal claim to her late husband’s surname.