Falana and Falana’s Chambers has dismissed allegations of threat to the life of MohBad’s father, Mr Joseph Aloba, by Femi Falana (SAN).
The law firm said it would not withdraw from representing Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba, widow of the late music star, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, a.k.a MohBad.
In a statement by Taiwo Olawanle, the firm faulted an interview by Mr Aloba on Max FM 102FM, which was published by other media.
It reads in part: “Mr. Aloba is definitely deceiving himself if he believes that his empty vituperations and vulgar abuses will force us to withdraw from further representing Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to enable him to inherit the assets of his late son, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (a.k.a. Mohbad).
“Having said the above, we find it preposterous that Mr Joseph Aloba has said that Mr. Falana and Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba be held responsible if he is killed.
“We have taken appropriate measures under the law to restrain Mr. Aloba from further associating Mr. Falana with murder and other forms of criminal offences.
“We will not allow Mr. Aloba and his cohorts to destroy the reputation which Mr. Falana has built at home and abroad.”
The law firm explained its involvement in the case.
The statement adds: “It is no longer news that Mohbad died in September 2023 under questionable circumstances.
“Upon the death of this young man, many well-meaning Nigerians and human rights groups contacted our office to assist in unravelling the circumstances surrounding his death and getting justice for the family.
“The widow of the late singer, Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba also contacted our office to help in a similar vein.
“At that juncture, Mr. Falana called Mohbad’s father and commiserated with him and assured him of his readiness to ensure that the law takes its cause.
“Our office immediately petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command requesting a thorough investigation into the case.
“In addition to the above, our office also wrote the Chief Coroner of Lagos State requesting a Coroner’s Inquest into the remote and immediate cause of the death of Mohbad.
“Our office sent a delegation of lawyers to Mohbad’s residence at Orchid in Lagos to take the statements of those close to the late singer including his wife, parents and staff.
“As events unfolded, we realised that the late Mohbad’s father, Mr Joseph Aloba is not interested in unraveling what led to the death of his son but after his estate.
“Hence, he rushed the burial of Mohbad in an unmarked grave without any autopsy to know the cause of death of the deceased.
“However, at our request, the body of Mohbad was later exhumed for investigation by the Police.
“Since our aim and goal in the matter is to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Mohbad through the instrumentality of the law, we had no choice but to distance ourselves from Mr Joseph Aloba‘s opportunism and puerile blackmail.
“While the matter is still pending before the Coroner and Police investigation has not been concluded, Mr Joseph Aloba through his solicitors wrote a letter dated the 25th day of November 2023 to our office wherein he requested Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to hand over her son for DNA test to ascertain his paternity.
Read Also: Falana faults police brutality as Lagos lawyers protest
“While our client and our law firm are not opposed to conducting the test as stated in our reply, we drew their attention to Section 57 of the Child’s Right Law of Lagos State which empowers only the Court to order the use of scientific tests including blood tests and DNA where paternity is in issue.
“Furthermore, we made it clear that under the provisions of the Child’s Right Law of Lagos State, the only person who has the locus standi to request a DNA test to confirm the paternity of a child is the father of a child.
“Notwithstanding the position of the law, we advised that due process of the law be followed i.e. obtaining a valid court order for Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to present her son for the test.
“Since our position was made known, Mr Joseph Aloba has not taken steps to obtain the court order to enable Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to submit her son for the test.”
