By Abiola Olawale
A Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu, Lagos State, has issued an order for substituted service on Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley, Samson Eletu, aka Sam Larry, over an ongoing inquest into the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as the Mohbad.
The court also directed substituted service on Mohbad’s sister-in-law, Karimot Ogunbayo; Boluwatife Adeyemo aka Darosha and Mohbad’s lawyer, Oluwasanmi Falade.
The ruling came after Mohbad’s father Joseph Aloba, had approached the Court seeking redress over the death of his son.
The Aloba’s legal team approached the court seeking an order of the coroner’s court to issue Witness Summons on interested persons as witnesses to give evidence on the connection and circumstances leading to the death of Mohbad.
Ruling on the motion, Magistrate T. A. Sotobi granted an order to serve a witness summons on additional witnesses through a reputable national newspaper and social media.
This was also contained in a statement issued by the representative of the Aloba family, Monisola Odumosu.
The statement reads in part: “Magistrate Sotobi, sitting at the Ikorodu Magistrate court Friday 16 August 2024 agreed with the legal team of Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, that the new witnesses should be served via substituted means in a reputable national newspaper and social media to ensure prompt attendance of the new witnesses.
“The application, which was argued by the legal team led by Mr Wahab Shittu SAN (leading Emmanuel Oroko Esq., Miss. Monisola Odumosu, Emmanuel Sadoh, Dr A.R. Ahmed, Oluyemi Osalusi Esq., Wole Ariyibi and Sadiq Kamo) representing Mr Joseph Aloba, sought an order of the coroner’s court to issue Witness Summons on interested persons as witnesses to give evidence on the connection and circumstances leading to the death of late Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba (Mohbad), who died in suspicious circumstances on September 12, 2023. Mr Joseph Aloba also asked for an order to issue Witness Summons against Nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, Boluwatife Adeyemo (A.K.A Darosha), Karimot Titilayo Ogunbayo, Barr. Oluwasanmi Falade (Mohbad’s lawyer), and Fidelis Esanbor (driver), Azeez Fashola (aka Naira Marley), Balogun Samson Eletu respectively, to give evidence of what they know in connection and circumstances leading to the death of Mr Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba (Mohbad), in suspicious circumstances on the 12th day of September 2023 on a date convenient and to be determined by the coroner.”
The New Diplomat reports that Mohbad passed away at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, under controversial circumstances surrounding his death. This sparked further 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, also known as Sam Larry, amongst others.
The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.
