Mohbad: Group faults police, insists on fresh probe

A civic advocacy group, Lagosians For Truth and Justice, has faulted the police over the alleged failed investigation into the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, two years after his death.

In a statement signed by its coordinator, Rotimi Da Silva, on Tuesday, the group said the inconsistencies surrounding the case had eroded public trust.

The group, however, insisted that a fresh and independent probe must be carried out to unravel the cause of the late singer’s death.

“The Nigerian Police did not diligently investigate this case. Despite announcing on October 7, 2023, that the case was being treated as homicide, the police failed to seal the residence as a crime scene.”

The group also claimed that individuals who were with the late singer in the last 24 hours before his death, including his partner, were neither arrested nor interrogated as suspects.

“Instead, the police relied heavily on narratives handed to them without conducting an independent, comprehensive investigation,” it added.

The group further faulted the Lagos State Government over the controversy surrounding the toxicology test, saying the alleged contradictions had yet to be clarified.

“A key promise was that Mohbad’s samples were sent to NMS Pennsylvania. Shockingly, NMS publicly denied ever receiving samples bearing the name Ilerioluwa Aloba.

“To date, the Lagos State Government has not refuted or clarified this contradiction,” the statement read.

It referenced discrepancies that emerged during the coroner’s inquest, which were allegedly overlooked.

“Aduragbemi Aloba stated under oath that anyone claiming to have seen Mohbad after 12 noon on Monday should come forward, suggesting the singer may not have been alive later that day.

“Darosha also claimed the body was already smelling and needed embalming, a statement scientifically impossible for a body only hours deceased.

While noting that the partner first claimed Mohbad died in a hospital before telling the court he died at home, the statement further stated that “The nurse’s timeline contradicts that of the driver, who said he was told by 11am on Tuesday that the boy he took to Ikorodu was dead, yet the nurse claimed she was treating Mohbad at 2.30pm.”

It added that the contradictions in timelines alone suggested a possible conspiracy, as “the date of death is unclear, the time of death is unknown, and the cause of death remains unascertained.”

The group alleged that the handling of the matter was damaging to the state government’s reputation.

It also demanded a fresh and independent investigation, re-interrogation of all persons present during Mohbad’s final hours, full phone forensic analysis, an independent DNA test overseen by Mohbad’s father, and zero interference by the state government.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, could not be reached for a reaction, as calls made to his telephone line were not responded to.

A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.

This was the same with the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi.

PUNCH Metro had earlier reported that controversies have continued to trail the singer’s death, with different factions accusing one another.

Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Aloba, died at 27 on September 12, 2023. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the circumstances surrounding his passing.

The autopsy carried out to determine the cause of his death was, however, declared inconclusive by the pathologist engaged by the state government.