A civic advocacy organisation, Lagosians For Truth and Justice, has criticised the Nigerian police for what it described as a failed and inconsistent investigation into the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, two years after his passing.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its coordinator, Rotimi Da Silva, the group said the numerous inconsistencies surrounding the case had weakened public confidence in the investigative process.
According to the group, only a new, independent probe can unravel the true circumstances behind the 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,” it stated.
The organisation further alleged that individuals who were with Mohbad in the final 24 hours—including his partner—were neither detained nor interrogated as suspects.
“Instead, the police relied heavily on narratives handed to them without conducting an independent, comprehensive investigation,” the statement added.
The group also faulted the Lagos State Government over the unresolved controversy surrounding the toxicology test, saying major contradictions remain unaddressed.
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“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,” it said.
It pointed to discrepancies raised during the coroner’s inquest, which it claimed were 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.”
The group also highlighted conflicting accounts from those present during Mohbad’s final moments, noting that his partner initially said he died in a hospital before later telling the court he died at home.
It added, “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.”
According to the statement, these conflicting timelines suggest a possible cover-up as “the date of death is unclear, the time of death is unknown, and the cause of death remains unascertained.”
The group warned that the handling of the case had negatively impacted the Lagos State Government’s public image. It demanded a new independent investigation, re-interrogation of everyone present during Mohbad’s last hours, complete phone forensic analysis, an independent DNA test supervised by the singer’s father, and a process free from government influence.
Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Aloba, died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 27. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command set up a 13-man special investigation team to examine the circumstances surrounding his demise. However, the autopsy conducted by the state-appointed pathologist was later declared inconclusive.