August 23, (THEWILL) – A Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu, Lagos State, has ordered substituted service for key witnesses in the ongoing inquest into the death of singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad.
The witnesses include Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley; Samson Eletu, also known as Sam Larry; Mohbad’s sister-in-law, Karimot Ogunbayo; Boluwatife Adeyemo, also known as Darosha; and Mohbad’s lawyer, Oluwasanmi Falade.
The nurse, who treated the deceased, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, and the driver who transported him to the hospital, Fidelis Esanbor, were also included on the list.
Magistrate T. A. Sotobi approved the application from Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, allowing witness summonses to be served on additional witnesses through a reputable national newspaper and social media platforms.
In a statement signed by Monisola Odumosu on Thursday, August 22. the Aloba family’s legal team announced that the order was granted during the court session on August 16.
The legal team stated that they also requested the coroner’s court to issue witness summons for individuals with relevant information about the circumstances and events leading to Mohbad’s death.
On August 16, 2024, Magistrate Sotobi, presiding at the Ikorodu Magistrate Court, agreed with Joseph Aloba’s legal team that the new witnesses should be served through substituted methods, including a reputable national newspaper and social media, to ensure their prompt attendance.
The statement reads as follows “The application, which was argued by the legal team led by Mr Wahab Shittu SAN (leading Emmanuel Oroko Esq., Miss. Monisola Odumosu, Emmanuel Sadoh, Dr. A.R. Ahmed, Oluyemi Osalusi Esq., Wole Ariyibi and Sadiq Kamo) representing Mr Joseph Aloba, sought an order of the coroner’s court to issue Witness Summons on interested persons as witnesses to give evidence on the connection and circumstances leading to the death of late Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba (Mohbad), who died in suspicious circumstances on September 12, 2023.
“Mr Joseph Aloba also asked for an order to issue Witness Summons against Nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, Boluwatife Adeyemo (A.K.A Darosha), Karimot Titilayo Ogunbayo, Barr. Oluwasanmi Falade (Mohbad’s lawyer), and Fidelis Esanbor (driver), Azeez Fashola (aka Naira Marley), Balogun Samson Eletu respectively, to give evidence of what they know in connection and circumstances leading to the death of Mr Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba (Mohbad), in suspicious circumstances on the 12th day of September 2023 on a date convenient and to be determined by the coroner.”
The legal team reported that attempts to serve witness summonses through the court have been unsuccessful.
Additionally, the coroner’s court approved the request to recall Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi, and the investigating officer in charge of the case, ASP Muhammad Yusuf.
A lawyer, Akinpelu Ogunbona, who represented Ibrahim Owodunni, also known as Primeboy, argued that there are new issues that both Wunmi and the police need to clarify to provide a complete understanding of the singer’s death.
The statement noted that Akinpelu A. Ogunbona Esq. requested their testimonies to clarify ambiguous statements about a reported altercation at the singer’s home.
The coroner has adjourned the case to ensure that the order is fulfilled and that the witnesses are present at the next court date.
Mohbad, who passed away at the age of 27 on September 12, 2023, had his death surrounded by controversy.
A former artist signed to Naira Marley’s Marlian Music, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command formed a 13-member special investigation team on September 18, 2023, to look into the circumstances of his death.
The incident also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and the controversial Lagos socialite Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, among others.
On September 21, 2023, Mohbad’s body was exhumed for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
