The family of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, known as Mohbad, has secured approval for a fresh and comprehensive police investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. The approval was granted by Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, according to the family's lawyer, Oladayo Ogungbe.
Petition Timeline and Approval
In a statement dated September 29, 2026, Ogungbe said the family submitted its petition to the IGP on April 14, 2026, and it was received at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on May 7. The petition 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 family was later informed that the matter had been assigned to officers of the Special Enquiry Bureau, which is now handling the fresh investigation.
Family Engagement with New Investigators
Ogungbe said a representative of the Aloba family had already been invited by the new investigative team and had engaged with the officers assigned to the case. "The family's representative has since been invited and has engaged with the new team of investigators assigned to the matter," the lawyer said.
He added that the family had continued to follow up with investigators and remained involved in the new investigative process. The family has stressed that the fresh investigation is separate from a recently dismissed court case.
Court Dismissal and Clarification
The 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, which sought an order directing the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to conduct a fresh investigation.
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 court also criticised the absence of the original police investigation report, which the applicant had relied on to argue that the earlier investigation was inadequate.
The Aloba family has stressed that the dismissed suit should not be confused with its own petition to the IGP. "The Aloba Family therefore does not wish the public to conflate the dismissal of that suit with the separate investigative process already commenced pursuant to the Family's petition to the Inspector-General of Police," Ogungbe said.
Background and Ongoing Efforts
Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 27, under circumstances that have continued to generate questions and legal proceedings nearly three years later. His 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 coroner recommended the prosecution of the nurse, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, for unlawful medical practice and gross negligence, and ruled out foul play or homicide based on the evidence before the court. The coroner also directed that Mohbad's earlier petition to the police concerning allegations of assault and intimidation be properly investigated.
The lawyer said the family's fresh investigation had begun independently of the court case and would continue despite the dismissal of the suit. He also said the family remained prepared to assist the investigators by providing relevant information, documents, witnesses, and other materials that could help establish what happened to the singer.
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 what it described as "trial by media." "The re-investigation is ongoing. The Aloba Family remains fully engaged. The pursuit of justice for Mohbad continues," the statement concluded.
