By comfort Asemota
A civic advocacy group, Lagosians For Truth and Justice, has criticized the police for what it called a failed investigation into the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, nearly two years after his passing.
In a statement signed by its coordinator, Rotimi Da Silva, on Tuesday, the group said inconsistencies surrounding the case had eroded public trust and called for a fresh, independent investigation to uncover the true cause of Mohbad’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 said.
The statement also highlighted that individuals who were with Mohbad in the final 24 hours of his life, including his partner, were reportedly neither arrested nor interrogated, while the police relied heavily on narratives handed to them without conducting a comprehensive, independent investigation.
The group further faulted the Lagos State Government over discrepancies surrounding the toxicology report, noting that promises to send Mohbad’s samples to NMS Pennsylvania were publicly denied by the lab. According to the group, the government has yet to clarify the contradiction.
“To date, the Lagos State Government has not refuted or clarified this contradiction,” the statement said.
The group also pointed to timeline inconsistencies during the coroner’s inquest. While Mohbad’s partner initially claimed the singer died in a hospital before later stating he passed away at home, the nurse and the driver offered conflicting accounts of the time of death. The advocacy group suggested these contradictions indicate a possible conspiracy, stating:
“The date of death is unclear, the time of death is unknown, and the cause of death remains unascertained.”
The group called for:
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A dependent, independent investigation
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Re-interrogation of all persons present during Mohbad’s final hours
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A full phone forensic analysis
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An independent DNA test overseen by Mohbad’s father
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Zero interference by the state government
Attempts to obtain comments from Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, and the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful.
Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Aloba, died at 27 on September 12, 2023. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command set up a 13-man special investigation team. However, the autopsy carried out by the pathologist engaged by the state government was declared inconclusive.
