The family of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has secured approval for a fresh and comprehensive police investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. The approval was granted by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, following a petition submitted by the singer's family, according to their lawyer, Oladayo Ogungbe. Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 27.
The petition was submitted on April 14, 2026, and received at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on May 7, 2026. It raised concerns about inconsistencies in the earlier investigative process and requested a comprehensive forensic reconstruction of the circumstances surrounding the singer's death. The IGP subsequently approved the petition and forwarded it to the Lagos State Police Command for immediate action.
The new investigation has been assigned to the Special Enquiry Bureau. A representative of the Aloba family has already been invited by the new investigative team and has engaged with the officers assigned to the case. The family has continued to follow up with investigators and remained involved in the new investigative process.
This development comes days after the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a separate suit seeking to compel the police to reopen investigations into Mohbad's death. The suit was filed by the Registered Trustees of Break the Silence Foundation. However, Justice James Omotosho dismissed the suit on September 25, 2026, finding that the foundation had not established sufficient legal interest to bring the action.
The Aloba family has stressed that the dismissed suit should not be confused with its own petition to the IGP. The family's lawyer said the fresh investigation had begun independently of the court case and would continue despite the dismissal of the suit. The family remains prepared to assist the investigators by providing relevant information, documents, witnesses, and other materials that could help establish what happened to the singer.
Mohbad's death has been the subject of investigations since September 2023, including a Lagos State coroner's inquest and multiple police investigations. An autopsy conducted after his body was exhumed could not establish a definitive cause of death because of the advanced decomposition of the remains. The Lagos State Coroner's Court later ruled in July 2025 that it could not certify a definitive cause of death but linked the singer's death to a severe reaction following an injection administered by an auxiliary nurse.
The Aloba family has now indicated that it will continue cooperating with the new investigative team as the police work to establish the facts surrounding the singer's death. The family urged the police to conduct the investigation with diligence, independence, and professionalism, while stressing that it was not seeking to prejudge the outcome or engage in trial by media.
Key points
- Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu approved a fresh investigation into Mohbad's death.
- The new investigation was prompted by concerns over inconsistencies in the earlier probe.
- The Aloba family will cooperate with investigators to establish the facts surrounding Mohbad's death.
