Police grill Mohbad’s dad over petition by Lagos monarch

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]oseph Aloba, the father of the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, was interrogated on Monday by officers of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos State. The questioning followed a petition filed by Oba Saheed Elegushi, accusing Aloba of cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and criminal defamation.

The head of Aloba’s legal team, Monisola Odumosu, released a statement on Tuesday detailing the circumstances surrounding the petition. According to Odumosu, the allegations stem from an interview Aloba recently gave, where he purportedly defamed Oba Elegushi.

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The statement read, “Mr. Aloba was invited by the police and accompanied to the police station by his legal representatives, Teri Wellington and Monisola Odumosu. The petition, written by Oba Saheed Elegushi, alleges that during an interview with a London-based blogger, Mr. Aloba claimed his son was bullied and killed on the instructions of Oba Elegushi, with one Sam Larry executing the order.”

Odumosu emphasized that Aloba did not intend to defame Oba Elegushi or engage in cyberbullying and cyberstalking. Aloba was seeking justice for his son, who died under controversial circumstances. Aloba clarified that he had no concrete evidence to support the allegations against the monarch, aside from a petition written by his late son and some phone conversations.

During the meeting, which Oba Elegushi attended, the monarch demanded a retraction of the statements made by Aloba on social media. Odumosu confirmed that Aloba was neither arrested nor detained and was granted bail without issue.

Odumosu noted, “Mr. Aloba is still grieving the death of his son. Any grieving parent may, in the heat of the moment, make statements that might seem unreasonable. We need to understand the emotional context behind his utterances.”

Mohbad, a former signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, died at the age of 27 on September 12, 2023. The circumstances surrounding his death have sparked widespread controversies on social media. Following his departure from Marlian Music in February 2022, Mohbad’s death led to the formation of a special 13-man investigation team by the Lagos State Police Command on September 18, 2023.

The investigation also resulted in the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry. Mohbad’s body was exhumed on September 21, 2023, for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Freelanews reported discrepancies regarding the toxicology test results. The Lagos State Government claimed the test was conducted at NMS Labs in Pennsylvania, USA. However, the US-based lab refuted this claim, stating they had no case for Mohbad. This revelation came after inquiries made by Freelanews’ correspondent.

A pathologist testified before the Coroner’s Court on May 15, revealing that due to the body’s decomposition, the autopsy could not determine Mohbad’s cause of death. Subsequently, on May 17, NMS Labs’ Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, Esther Dede, confirmed that they had no records related to Mohbad’s case.

The investigation into Mohbad’s death and the allegations against his father remain ongoing.