INTERVIEW: Why I want second autopsy conducted on my son – Mohbad’s father

Ten months after the controversial death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad, who passed away on 12 September 2023, the pursuit of justice is still ongoing.

Conflicting reports about the cause of his death have plagued the investigation.

Recently, a magistrate court in Ikorodu granted the Aloba family permission to conduct a second autopsy after they rejected the inconclusive initial results from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

The initial autopsy, conducted after his body was exhumed on 21 September 2023, failed to determine a cause of death due to decomposition and potential medication reactions.

In this PREMIUM TIMES interview, the late singer’s father, Joseph Aloba, shares his concerns about the autopsy process and the family’s next steps in seeking justice for Mohbad.

Excerpts:

PT: It’s been ten months since your son died, and ascertaining the cause of his death has been a long ride. How have you been emotionally coping with this whole process?

Aloba: First, let me appreciate God and the response rate to this justice for Mohbad. Within me, I know it’s the work of God.

When Mohbad was alive, he sang songs whose meanings I didn’t know. Later, when he died, I realised this boy was a prophet.

When he died, I decided not to put Mohbad’s pictures in my house, but seeing his pictures at press conferences, I didn’t feel happy. I can only reminisce about the youth still standing by my side.

PT: Can you explain why your family rejected the autopsy results conducted by LASUTH, and what specific concerns do you have about the process and findings?

Aloba: A lot of things have bothered me throughout this process. There was a reason the government instructed us to exhume Mohbad.

Those things were not accomplished; apparently, there was an eagerness to bury Mohbad.

Firstly, I doubt these results because of the lengthy time before we were given them. According to the medical personnel, an autopsy is meant to take 8-10 weeks, but it took almost 6-7 months.

When the results came out, I was in doubt. The autopsy results stated that it was not ascertained from any angle, which I am not pleased with. That’s why I am moving to a private autopsy.

PT: Don’t you trust the government, and why do you feel the process was manipulated?

Aloba: I doubt the government’s report because of the time wasted. There was a time when I had to leave Lagos for Abuja to gain more enlightenment about this autopsy process. I met a medical expert. He was the one who even made the move, and if not for him, we would have been waiting.

They (Lagos government) delayed a lot of things, and this is not done anywhere. They collected the sample immediately after the death, and in the end, they did not do anything about the death.

After that medical expert called, they gave him time. They gave him ten weeks then, and they still didn’t release the results after those ten weeks.

What was delaying the issue? It’s not like I doubt the government, but delay can result in denial. That was the reason I wholly doubted the first autopsy results.

PT: How long will it take for the result to be out?

Aloba: They have permitted us, or at least given us the order now. We will likely get a positive result between 8 and 10 weeks.

PT: You believe these fresh private labs will give you a more accurate assessment?

Aloba: Yes, I am confident.

PT: Will the second autopsy be conducted in Nigeria?

Aloba: I would consult my team and my family before we know exactly where we want to do it.

PT: How do you address the discrepancies in the toxicology report, mainly the conflicting information about the involvement of the US lab?

Aloba: There is conflicting information; I’m not pleased with the results, so I am insistent on confirming the second autopsy results.

PT: Are there experts you are privately going to invite in this process to oversee the integrity of this second process?

Aloba: I want to consult my lawyers before proceeding to invite experts.

PT: Concerning your daughter-in-law, Wunmi Aloba, there have been reports of you pressurising her to carry out this DNA; how do you respond to this?

Aloba: I never threatened her; I only want to ascertain the paternity of my grandson, Liam. Wunmi is my friend; I can say it boldly: we don’t have a grudge, not until the coroner process started, and I was in pain.

I want to know the paternity of that child; it’s not something I can postpone, and I’d better find a solution to it. Now, we have already made an application to the court about this.

PT: Are you still insistent on the need for the DNA results of Mohbad’s son, Liam?

Aloba: I am appealing to the Lagos State government; they’ve tried a lot for me and the family. But my appeal is that I need this private autopsy and the DNA results. I need an affirmative stance on my grandson’s paternity.

It’s one of the means that can reveal the cause of the death of my son, so they should allow me to conduct it.