Ilerioluwa Aloba, the late Lagos-based singer known as Mohbad, has had his family’s request for an independent autopsy and toxicology test granted by the Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu. This ruling comes in the midst of an ongoing investigation into the singer’s untimely death, and is viewed as a crucial step towards shedding light on the circumstances surrounding his passing.
The court’s order to permit an independent autopsy and toxicology test follows the previous autopsy conducted by the Lagos State Government which proved inconclusive, leaving many unanswered questions about the late singer’s passing.
The Aloba family’s legal team challenged the results of the initial autopsy, expressing their dissatisfaction with the inconclusive findings. Empowered by their desire for the truth, they persisted in their quest for justice, demanding an independent postmortem in order to unearth the elusive answers that remained shrouded in mystery.
In a statement released by the head of the Aloba family’s legal team, Taiwo Odumosu, the Coroner’s Court, during a sitting on Wednesday, ordered the family to foot the legal expenses incurred in conducting and processing the independent toxicology test.
The statement read in part, “The court has ordered that all legal expenses for the conduct and process of the toxicology test would be borne by the Aloba family. The deceased’s father, mother, and wife are also required to be present during the autopsy.
“The Coroner’s Court chaired by T.A Sonubi, who gave the order however said that all the legal expenses on the conduct and process of the toxicology test would be borne by the Aloba family.
“The application was brought because the late Ilerioluwa Aloba (Mohbad), died in suspicious circumstances on the 12th day of September 2023 and the applicant and his family are desirous of getting an independent autopsy and toxicology test to be done as a second opinion of the prospective autopsy report of the death of late Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba (Mohbad).
“The court further ordered that the father, mother and the wife of the deceased must be present at the autopsy.”
Odumosu emphasized their determination to uncover the truth behind Mohbad’s untimely passing, stating, “The family welcomes the court’s decision and looks forward to obtaining the answers we so desperately seek.”
While the family’s request to recall previously heard testimony was denied, their plea to introduce new witnesses to the court was granted, contingent on the provision of full details for these additional witnesses.
The statement further revealed that Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi, petitioned the court for permission to lay her late husband to rest, a request that was placed in the delicate balance of conducting the independent autopsy and toxicology tests.
“The court was disposed to the burial but said all parties (which include: Mr. Joseph Aloba (father of the deceased), Mrs. Abosede Olumiyi (mother of the deceased), and Mrs. Wunmi Aloba (wife of the deceased) must agree to the burial and if not the dispute should be referred to the High Court for settlement,” the statement added.
