The Aloba family has been granted permission to conduct a second autopsy on their son, Ilerioluwa, better known by his stage name Mohbad. The court’s decision comes after the family expressed dissatisfaction with the findings of the initial autopsy. This was conducted by the Lagos State Government.
Born Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, Mohbad is a Nigerian rapper who passed away in September 2023. He was diagnosed with an “ear infection” by an unlicensed nurse who has since been arrested.
Ever since the exhumation of his body on September 21, 2023, the investigation of the passing of Mohbad has been going through a lot of back-and-forth between Mohbad’s family, the Alobas, his ex-wife Omowunmi, and the police.
The first autopsy
Following the exhumation of Mohbad’s body last year by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). They were unable to determine the cause of his death. The only findings that were made were the decomposition and potential reactions to medications he received before passing.
Unsatisfied with this conclusion, the Aloba family has rejected the autopsy reports. They demand that the Lagos State Government confirm the authenticity of the autopsy which was conducted in the United States.
The grant of the second autopsy
Following this, the family has now been granted a court authorisation to proceed with a private, independent autopsy.
At a press conference, Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, thanked the court for their decision. He said, “I appreciate the responses all along to the death of Mohbad. We appreciate the judiciary for this decision. There is a reason for the government to instruct that we exhume Mohbad for them to know the cause of his death.”
Legal representation
Furthermore, the family’s legal representative, Grace Shorinde, noted that the results of the second autopsy must be available before August 7th. This is when the coroner’s inquest is set to conclude.
“If we consider today’s coroner inquest, we are already time-bound”.
“Whatever we do, we must have the results before 7 August. After concluding the coroner’s inquest, the legal team approached Joseph Aloba. He emphasised the urgency of acting on the received information.”
“Those who were advocating for the boy’s burial now understand that Mohbad cannot be buried until the cause of death is determined, which must happen between now and 7 August,” she stated.
Human rights representation
A representative from the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice, Rotimi Adigun, stated that the organization has internal plans to address the case. He emphasised the need for justice and their willingness to assist.
He said, “We know justice delayed is justice denied. We have our plan and know what to do concerning the case. We have pledged our support and are willing to assist in the case and we are fully in the case but cannot disclose our plan.”
Additionally, Lawyer David Wonuola pinpointed the importance of the court’s decision to allow the recording of witness statements. This is because the evidence and testimony will be crucial in determining the path of justice.
“The autopsy report is one of the variables to assist the court, along with other factors. Thankfully, today, the court allowed the application to record witnesses. This was prompted by the applications brought forward today.”
“The current state of the report influenced that application because, once the report is finalised and confirmed, the court will focus on the evidence and testimonies of the respondents and witnesses presented.”
“At this time, recording witness statements to elicit facts is important. The court will base its proceedings on the evidence or witness statements before it, which will assist in the path of justice.” He noted.”
Finally, the world awaits once again to see the final results of the autopsy, to determine what exactly caused the death of superstar Mohbad.(Guardian)
