On Thursday, police continued their investigation into the events surrounding the death of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad. This development came after Mohbad’s family and individuals implicated in the ongoing investigation into the illegal embalming of his body were summoned.
PUNCH Metro reported that Boluwatife Adeyemo, known as Darosha and who served as Mohbad’s Personal Assistant, was questioned at the Zone 2 Police Headquarters. He was interrogated in the presence of the deceased’s father, Joseph, and mother, Abosede. Following Darosha’s interrogation, the police have requested that all individuals mentioned in his statement be brought in for further questioning.
Monisola Odumosu, the head of the family’s legal team, disclosed in a statement sent to our correspondent on Wednesday that a second round of interrogations took place at the Zone 2 Police Headquarters in Lagos State on Tuesday. Odumosu further noted that police efforts were underway to identify the “illegal mortician.” “The police will soon make public the identity of the person who illegally embalmed the body of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, widely known as Mohbad,” she stated.
The police have stated that they will finalize their report and continue their investigation, which will then be forwarded to the Legal Department of the force for a recommendation. “The meeting took place at Zone 2 and in attendance 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). Also present were Iya Lolade and Samuel (witnesses for Mr. Joseph Aloba) along with lawyers representing the parties,” added Monisola Odumosu.
Earlier, on the family’s behalf, the legal team had lodged a complaint with the police against Boluwatife Adeyemo, Mohbad’s personal assistant, accusing him of embalming the singer’s body, a violation of Sections 16 and 48 of the Coroner’s System Law, 2007, which deals with the offences and penalties for tampering with a deceased’s body.
Following the interrogation of Darosha, the police have requested that all individuals mentioned in his statement be summoned for further questioning.
In the aftermath of Mohbad’s death, his cousin Darosha explained on his social media handle, daroshagram, the rationale behind his actions: “…About the salt, when my father died, salt was placed on his chest until we arrived and were told it was a local method of embalming to keep him preserved until the entire family could gather. I did the same thing with Mohbad because many people were still coming to see him before we left for Ikorodu that night.”
The controversy stirred by the post on social media and among legal experts necessitated a deeper inquiry into who had embalmed the late singer Mohbad without adhering to the prevailing laws. The legal team indicated that they are awaiting the police report, which will follow the legal advice from their department. Only then will they know who may face prosecution.
Mohbad’s father claimed that he found his son’s body already embalmed and placed by the staircase upon arriving at the deceased’s home on the day of his death. He has urged the police to deepen their investigation to determine the cause of his son’s death. Mohbad passed away on September 12 at the age of 27, under circumstances that have led to widespread speculation and controversy on social media. Formerly signed to Marlian Music, a label owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022.
In response to the ongoing controversy, the Lagos State Police Command initiated a 13-member special investigation team on September 18, 2023, to look into the death. This investigation also resulted in the arrest of notable figures including Naira Marley and the controversial Lagos socialite Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry. Further, on September 21, 2023, Mohbad’s body was exhumed for an autopsy to determine the precise cause of his death.
In September 2023, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, announced via Twitter that an autopsy had been completed and the police were “awaiting results.” The PUNCH exclusively revealed that the toxicology test, conducted to ascertain the cause of death of the late music star, had been finalized. The findings have been forwarded to the pathologist responsible for the autopsy for further analysis and interpretation.