Why I want a second autopsy on my son: Mohbad’s father

Ten months after the controversial death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad, who died on September 12, 2023, the search for justice continues.

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 initial inconclusive results from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

The initial autopsy, performed after his body was exhumed on September 21, 2023, failed to determine the cause of death due to decomposition and possible drug 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 determining the cause of his death has been a long road. How have you been coping emotionally with this whole process?

Aloba: First, let me thank God and the response rate to this justice for Mohbad. Deep inside me, I know that it is God’s work.

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

When he died, I decided not to put Mohbad’s photos in my house, but seeing them at press conferences, I didn’t feel happy. I can only remember the youth who are still by my side.

PT: Can you explain why your family rejected the results of the autopsy performed by LASUTH and what specific concerns they have about the process and findings?

Aloba: Many things have worried me during this entire process. There was a reason the government ordered us to exhume Mohbad.

But these things were not carried out; apparently, there was a desire to bury Mohbad.

First of all, I doubt these results because of the long time it took to get them back. According to the medical staff, an autopsy should take 8-10 weeks, but in reality it took almost 6-7 months.

When the results came out, I had doubts. The autopsy results indicated that it could not be determined from any angle, which does not satisfy me. That is why I am going to opt for a private autopsy.

PT: Do you not trust the government and why do you think the process was manipulated?

Aloba: I doubt the government report because of the time lost. There was a time when I had to leave Lagos for Abuja to get more information about this autopsy process. I met a medical expert. It was he who even took the initiative and if it had not been for him, we would have been waiting.

They (the Lagos government) delayed many things and this is not done anywhere. They collected the sample immediately after the death and in the end, they did nothing about it.

After that medical expert called, they gave him time. They gave it ten weeks and after those ten weeks they still haven’t published the results.

What was it that delayed the matter? It is not that I doubt the government, but delay can lead to denial. That was the reason I totally doubted the results of the first autopsy.

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

Aloba: We have been allowed, or at least we have been ordered to do so. We are likely to get a positive result in 8 to 10 weeks.

PT: Do you think these new private laboratories will give you a more accurate evaluation?

Aloba: Yes, I am confident.

PT: Will the second autopsy be carried out in Nigeria?

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

PT: How do you address the discrepancies in the toxicology report, primarily the conflicting information about the US lab’s involvement?

Aloba: There is conflicting information, I am not satisfied with the results, that is why I insist on confirming the results of the second autopsy.

PT: Are there experts that you will privately invite to this process to oversee the integrity of this second process?

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

PT: Regarding your daughter-in-law, Wunmi Aloba, there have been reports that you pressured her to do this DNA; How do you respond to this?

Aloba: I never threatened her, I just want to find out the paternity of my grandson, Liam. Wunmi is my friend, I can say it boldly: we have no hard feelings, not until the forensic process started and I was suffering.

I want to know the paternity of that child; It’s not something he can put off and he better find a solution for it. Now we have already submitted an application to the court about this.

PT: Are you still insisting on the need for DNA results from Mohbad’s son Liam?

Aloba: I appeal to the Lagos State Government; They have 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 the paternity of my grandson.

It is one of the means that can reveal the cause of my son’s death, so I should be allowed to do it.