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On Wednesday, singer Naira Marley and his associate, Sam Larry, did not respond to a summons to appear before a Coroner's Court in Ikorodu, Lagos State, which is investigating the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
Following Mohbad’s death, the Lagos State police detained Naira Marley and Sam Larry, linking them to the case due to allegations of bullying and harassment that sparked widespread public outrage.
On October 6, Naira Marley and Sam Larry were charged in a Yaba Magistrate’s Court regarding Mohbad’s death and were subsequently held in police custody. However, by November 2023, both were released on bail after spending approximately 50 days and 44 days in custody, respectively.
In August, the legal team representing the Aloba family issued a statement noting that Magistrate T. A. Sotobi of the coroner court had ordered witnesses to be notified via national newspapers or social media.
This order came after Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, sought a court mandate to issue witness summons to various individuals to clarify the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death. The summoned individuals included Naira Marley, Sam Larry, Mohbad’s sister-in-law Karimot Ogunbayo, his lawyer Oluwasanmi Falade, his PA Boluwatife Adeyemo (also known as Darosha), the nurse who attended to Mohbad, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, and the driver who transported Mohbad to the hospital, Fidelis Esanbor.
According to a report by The Punch on Thursday, Taiwo Odumosun, the head of the Aloba family’s legal team, revealed that Darosha was the only witness who showed up for the court session.
Odumosun indicated that with Naira Marley, Sam Larry, and others missing, the magistrate might consider issuing a subpoena if they fail to appear at the next court session.
A subpoena is a legal order that compels a person to attend court or produce evidence. Odumosun commented,
“The purpose of today’s hearing was to continue examining witnesses to determine the circumstances of Mohbad’s death. Out of all the key witnesses summoned through alternate means, only Darosha attended court. The magistrate mentioned issuing one final witness summons and stated that subpoenas would follow if others fail to appear at the next session.”
The hearing has been rescheduled to September 30.
In the meantime, the Aloba family has expressed frustration with the police investigation into their son’s death. Emmanuel Oroko of Hilceetee Partners, the family’s lawyer, criticized the police for relying prematurely on witness statements without conducting a thorough investigation.
Odumosun condemned the police’s approach, saying,
“The police demonstrated clear bias in their investigation. They relied on witness testimonies to make legal conclusions and did not disclose their investigative actions or findings. Additionally, when the court authorized an independent autopsy and toxicology tests, the police refused to cooperate. We requested access to forensic experts and evidence from the crime scene, but the police did not facilitate this.”
He also accused the police of failing to provide details on when the pathologists could examine the evidence and of not responding to the Aloba family’s legal team. He urged the Police Service Commission to investigate the officers responsible for the case.
In a recent development, Mohbad’s mother, Abosede Olumiyi, has called for a family settlement. In a video statement, she expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing actions related to her late son and insisted that her ex-husband, Mr. Aloba, should have the final say on the matter.
Mrs. Olumiyi has had disputes with her ex-husband regarding Mohbad’s paternity and alleged exploitation of Mohbad’s death. She also criticized her daughter-in-law, Wunmi, for removing Mohbad’s belongings from his house without proper notice and for perceived deceit and disrespect.
Mohbad, who passed away on September 12, 2023, was initially buried in Ikorodu the following day. As the first anniversary of his death approaches, his family continues to seek justice, including pursuing a second autopsy after the initial results were inconclusive. The second autopsy, conducted in September 2023 and released on June 7, failed to determine a clear cause of death due to body decomposition and potential medication reactions.
