Joseph Aloba, the father of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad, has called on the Nigeria Police to summon the wife of his deceased son, Omomunmi, to provide insights into the death of his son.
He disclosed this in a statement signed by the family and sent to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro had reported that Aloba filed a suit seeking to call more witnesses in the bid to unravel the cause of the death of his late singer-son.
In the application signed by his legal team, 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.”
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 Mohbad’s death.
Meanwhile, the Aloba family in a statement sent to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, Mohbad’s father said Omowunmi’s testimony could also be instrumental in shedding more light on the circumstances leading to the death.
The statement read in part, “It has come to our attention that Omomunmi Adebanjo, the wife of the late Mohbad, has expressed her knowledge of critical information related to his death. We urge the relevant authorities to extend an invitation to Omowunmi Adebanjo to provide her testimony and insights into this tragic event. We believe that her cooperation and testimony could be instrumental in shedding light on the circumstances leading to Mohbad’s demise.”
While citing the sensitive nature of the matter, he also urged the police to provide security to ensure her safety whenever she comes forward to share her knowledge with the authorities.
“We implore you (the police) to prioritise this investigation and take swift action to uncover the truth behind Mohbad’s death. The Aloba family and the public deserve closure, and justice must prevail,’ the statement added.
While noting that another sitting at the coroner inquest was coming up in a few days, he stated that “the opportunity is still there for you to go and tell them the truth you know.”
The deceased singer’s father also disclosed that he had filed a suit seeking a Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test for his grandson, Liam, at the Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Mohbad’s wife, Omowunmi, recently stated in an Instagram post that she had since November been waiting for a court order to proceed with the paternity test.
While stating that he owed Liam a duty to protect him, Mohbad’s father added that the move was to resolve the issues surrounding his paternity for future purposes.
He said, “Since the issue of Liam Aloba’s paternity is in the public domain, especially on social media, this information will continue to be there for now and maybe forever. As a grandfather to Liam Aloba, I owe the duty of protecting him now, and the future is at stake if the issue of paternity is not resolved now, and it will hurt her and the son in the future. Anyone can call him any bad name which I will not want that to happen to him now or in the nearest future. Wunmi Adebanjo, as a mother to Liam Aloba too, it is my thinking and belief that you will not like a situation where, in the future, people will use or call Liam Aloba any unpleasant name.
‘Since she wants a court order to do the DNA, my legal team has approached the court in that regard, the suit has been filed. Her legal team should do the needful whenever the court serves them by not frustrating the process so that Liam Aloba, whether he is my grandson or not, deserves the right to a good life without any blemish to his name and his existence on earth. If this is the only thing you can do to save him from future embarrassment, please do it for him as a mother; let him have a peaceful life to live.”
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 singer’s 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 their 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.
