MOHBAD’S FATHER TAKES LEGAL FIGHT TO COURT OVER RELEASE OF PRIME SUSPECTS
In a major turn in the ongoing investigation into the death of Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as Mohbad, the Lagos High Court in Ikeja has granted his father, Joseph Aloba, permission to challenge the legal advice that led to the release of four suspects, including fellow artist Naira Marley. Justice Taiwo Olatokun’s ruling allows Aloba to seek a judicial review aimed at reversing decisions made by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and a Yaba Magistrate Court that cleared the suspects.
Mohbad’s father, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Wahab Shittu, argued that the legal advice issued by the DPP not only preempts an ongoing coroner’s inquest into the singer’s suspicious death but also violates his constitutional right to a fair hearing. Aloba further contends that the suspects—Naira Marley (Abdulazeez Fashola), Sam Larry (Samason Balogun Eletu), Prime Boy (Owodunni Ibrahim), and Pere Babatunde—have yet to answer to critical questions raised during the inquest proceedings.
According to an 18-paragraph affidavit submitted with the suit, Aloba emphasized that the premature discharge of the suspects undermines the integrity of the coroner’s court, which began sitting on September 29, 2023, and is still active. The next hearing in the judicial review case is set for June 17, 2025.
