An application seeking to call more witnesses in the bid to unravel the cause of the death of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad, has been filed at the coroner court sitting in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
This was contained in a statement obtained by PUNCH Metro on Monday and signed by Monisola Odumosu of the Hillceetee Partners on behalf of the deceased’s father, Joseph Aloba.
In the application signed by Emmanuel Oroko. It was noted that the testimonies of the witnesses in the ongoing inquest would provide more factual, evidential, and better light on the circumstances leading to the death of the late singer.
The law firm said their research had shown “that there were incidents on the Third Mainland Bridge at about 2.30 am (Sunday, September 10, 2023), (which) the appropriate witnesses did not mention and which no one has related at the Coroner Inquest and in our opinion would have given away the circumstantial event that led to the death of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba.”
The application also revealed that there were events on September 12, 2023, at the deceased’s residence, which were not mentioned by the appropriate witnesses.
According to Odumosu, the application indicated that such information would have given a better insight into the real cause of the death of the deceased, adding that recent events had shown that some probable witnesses had been subpoenaed.
It added, “These key witnesses include the driver of the car that drove the deceased, his wife, his brother, and the witnesses proposed to the honourable inquest. Furthermore, the law firm believes that the situation of the CCTV at the deceased’s residential premises not functional at the time the deceased and others came home may not be true.”
The statement added that the witnesses requested to testify before the court include, “Ayobami Fisayo aka Spending, Boluwatife Adeyemo aka Darosha and Ibrahim Owodunni aka Prime Boy; all of whom were with the deceased at the material time.”
The law firm further asserted in the application that the evidence of these witnesses would help expound and give further clarity on the ongoing inquest in no small measure to understand the reasons and events leading to the death of the deceased.
“The application would also afford the inquest to make appropriate recommendations to the appropriate authority on who is culpable in the case.
“This would meet the justice of the case if the individuals proposed to be called could give their eyewitness accounts of the events that led to the death of Mohbad,” the statement added.
A source in the family told PUNCH Metro on Monday that the request came on the heels of the suspension of the ongoing inquest by the coroner.
The source who craved anonymity said, “We were surprised when we found out that the coroner had stopped sitting while waiting for the result of the pathologist. A pathologist is meant to investigate the cause of the death but there is still some circumstantial evidence which had been held on to and this would unravel the real cause of the death.”
Mohbad died on September 12 at the age of 27, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.
Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022.
The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the death.
His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley, and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, aka Sam Larry, amongst others.
The body of Mohbad was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, had tweeted in September 2023 that an “autopsy has been concluded” and the police were “awaiting result.”
In the course of its probe, the police declared Primeboy wanted on October 4, 2023, after which he turned himself in two days after.
Meanwhile, Aloba, in November 2023, had stated that nobody should collect his son’s body for burial without his authorisation.
In an interview with PUNCH Metro in December 2023, Hundeyin reiterated that the command had not received the report of the autopsy conducted on Mohbad from the pathologists.
