The family of the late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has initiated a new autopsy to ascertain the cause of his death. This follows an order by Magistrate T.A. Shotobi of the Coroner Court in Ikorodu, Lagos State, on June 26, allowing Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, to engage an independent pathologist for the autopsy.
The court’s order stipulated that Mr. Aloba would bear all costs related to the examination, evaluation, and autopsy. Monisola Odumosu, a member of the family’s legal team, announced on Tuesday that the autopsy was conducted on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20.
Odumosu stated that if the post-mortem procedure fails to reveal the cause of death, the family plans to proceed with toxicology and histology tests on the samples obtained. “The second autopsy as requested by the Aloba family and ordered by the Magistrate of the Coroner Court, Ms. T.A. Shotobi, was conducted on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20, 2024. This autopsy is a two-part exercise, with the first part now completed. If the cause of death cannot be determined from this initial examination, the second part will proceed, involving a toxicology and histology test on the necessary samples already obtained,” the statement read.
The procedure was witnessed by Mohbad’s father and two separate pathologists appointed by him and Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi. “This comprehensive procedure, conducted last Friday, was witnessed only by Mr. Joseph Aloba, the forensic pathologist appointed by Mr. Joseph Aloba and his team, legal representatives of both Mr. Joseph Aloba and a pathologist appointed by Wunmi Aloba to observe the procedure,” Odumosu added.
Mohbad passed away at the age of 27 on September 12, 2023, under circumstances that have sparked widespread controversy. Formerly signed to Marlian Music, owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command set up a 13-man special investigation team to probe the incident.
His death also led to the arrests of Naira Marley and Lagos socialite Balogun Eletu, known as Sam Larry, among others. On September 21, 2023, Mohbad’s body was exhumed for an autopsy to uncover the cause of his death. However, a pathologist testified before the Coroner’s Court on May 15 that the initial autopsy could not determine the cause of death due to the body’s decomposition.
Subsequently, OduNews.com reported that a US-based lab refuted claims by the Lagos State Government that a toxicology test had been conducted at its facility. Responding to the inquiry on May 17, Esther Dede, Client Services Associate at NMS Labs, stated, “Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient.”
