Protesters to storm Lagos Assembly over Mohbad’s death probe
Nollywood actor and human rights advocate, Yomi Fabiyi, is set to lead a peaceful protest to demand justice for the late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka MohBad.
Fabiyi who disclosed this on his Instagram page noted that the protest would take place on Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
According to him, the protest seeks to call on the state government to set up a committee to investigate the singer’s death.
He alleged that “those behind this heinous crime, those who cut Mohbad’s life short are spending millions upon millions of naira to see that they cover up the case, create distractions, and bury the many blatant evidence.
“We are so sure the CCTV cameras inside and outside Mohbad’s house were working, and they store remotely someone and not via DVR. The builder of the houses of similar patterns and Royal Pine Estate, Off Orchid Road, Lekki security, and CDA have answers to where these facts are stored.”
He described the refusal of the police to retrieve the cameras as “very frustrating” and that “the masses do not want to put the law into our hands by going to ask for it, hence we need the true representatives of the people of Lagos State to wade in and set up a committee to summon, visit and bring the truth out.”
He enjoined citizens of the country to come out, be a part of the protest and speak in one voice.
“This struggle needs you. Be orderly and civil when attending,” he concluded.
Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.
Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.
His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, amongst others.
The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.
However, a pathologist, while testifying before the Coroner’s Court on May 15, revealed that an autopsy couldn’t determine Mohbad’s cause of death due to the decomposition of his body.
Following the disclosure, PUNCH Metro exclusively reported that the US-based lab refuted the claim by the Lagos State Government that the toxicology test was conducted at its facility.
The revelation was in response to inquiries made by our correspondent, who embarked on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the musician’s cause of death.
Responding to PUNCH Metro’s inquiry on May 17, the Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, NMS Labs, Esther Dede, stated, “Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, in a document sent to our correspondent clarified that the lab confirmed receipt of the postmortem samples.
The document which contained the lab’s response to an inquiry by the Attorney General of Lagos State, Lawal Pedro, read, “We are responding to your office’s request to confirm that NMS Labs tested postmortem samples identified as belonging to Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad.
“On March 1, 2024, NMS received postmortem samples from another Pennsylvania-based lab, ITSI Biosciences. ITSI Biosciences requested that NMS Labs conduct testing and report findings on samples they (ITSI Biosciences) identified as being from Ilerioluwa Aloba. NMS Labs completed toxicological testing and delivered a report of findings to the submitting agency, ITSI Biosciences, on April 9, 2024.”