Mohbad: Police Begin Investigation On Illegal Embalming Of Late Singer

The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has continued its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad.

CityNews Nigeria reports that this investigation was prompted by the invitation extended to Mohbad’s family and the individuals mentioned in the ongoing probe regarding the illegal embalming of the deceased’s body after his passing.

Earlier, Boluwatife Adeyemo, also known as Darosha, who served as Mohbad’s Personal Assistant, was questioned at the Zone 2 Police Headquarters in the presence of the deceased’s parents, Joseph and Abosede.

Following Darosha’s interrogation, the police have requested that all individuals mentioned in his statement be brought in for further questioning.

The family’s legal team, led by Monisola Odumosu, confirmed that the second round of questioning took place on Tuesday at the Zone 2 Police Headquarters in Lagos State.

According to Odumosu, the police were working to reveal the identity of the “illegal mortician.”

He added: “The police will reveal to the public soon, who illegally embalmed the body of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, widely known as Mohbad.

“The police stated they would work on their report and continue investigations which will be directed to the Legal Department of the force for a recommendation.

“The meeting was held at Zone 2 and present at the meeting were Mr. Joseph Aloba (Mohbad’s father), Boluwatife Adeyemi (aka Darosha), Adura Aloba (Mohbad’s younger brother), Mrs. Abosede Olumuyi (Mohbad’s mother) and Cynthia Omowunmi Aloba (Mohbad’s wife). Others include Iya Lolade and Samuel (Mr. Joseph Aloba’s witnesses) and lawyers to the parties.”

The legal representatives of the family had previously filed a petition with the police, as per their client’s instructions, stating that Boluwatife Adeyemo, the personal assistant to the deceased Mohbad, had unlawfully embalmed the singer’s body.

This act is in violation of Sections 16 and 48 of the Coroner’s System Law, 2007, which specifically addresses the consequences and punishments for tampering with a deceased body.

After questioning Darosha, the police have requested that all individuals mentioned in his statement be brought in for additional interrogation.

Shortly after Mohbad’s death, his cousin, Darosha, on his social media handle, daroshagram, wrote, “About the salt, when my father died, a salt was placed on his chest till we arrived and was told it was local embalming to keep him fresh till the whole family arrived, and I did the same thing (on Mohbad) because a lot of people were still coming to see him before leaving to Ikorodu that night.”

CityNews understands that this act stirred a barrage of reactions on social media and legal circles, leading to the need to discover who embalmed the late singer without regard to extant laws.

The legal team mentioned that they were waiting for the police report once the police received legal advice from their legal department. Only then will they be properly informed about the recommended individuals who will face prosecution.

Mohbad’s father claimed that his son’s body had already been embalmed and placed by the staircase when he arrived at the deceased’s home on the day of his death. He urged the police to intensify the investigation to uncover the cause of his son’s death.

Recall that Mohbad passed away on September 12 at the age of 27, with the circumstances surrounding his death causing controversy on social media.

A former signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022.

On September 18, 2023, the Lagos State Police Command established a 13-man special investigation team to look into the death.

The singer’s death resulted in the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, among others.

Mohbad’s body was subsequently exhumed on September 21, 2023, for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

In September 2023, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, noted on X that the autopsy had been completed and they were “awaiting results.”

It was reported earlier that the toxicology test conducted to ascertain the cause of death of the late music star had been completed. The results were reportedly sent to the pathologist who performed the autopsy for analysis and interpretation.