Lagos State Police Command which investigated the circumstances leading to the death of the late Nigerian rapper, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, yesterday came up with an interim report on what the command believed caused the singer's death on September 12.
The investigation by detectives of the Special Investigation Team set up five days after Mohbad's death, took them two weeks to complete.
According to the police interim report, the management of an injury inflicted on late Mohbad during a fight with his childhood friend, Prime Boy, resulted in his death. The report named an Auxiliary Nurse, Miss Fisayo Ogedengbe as the Prime suspect in Mohbad's death after she admitted during interrogation that the injection she gave him triggered a reaction that led to his eventual death.
The auxiliary nurse admitted to have administered doses of Tetanus Toxoid, Paracetamol (IV) and Ceftriaxone injection (IV) on Mohbad, at his residence, on September 12, 2023, thereby triggering reactions such as vomiting, goose bumps and convulsion that eventually resulted in the singer's death.
Police investigation also established that the deceased was assaulted and bullied by the duo of Abdulazeez Fashola (a.k.a Naira Marley) and Samson Balogun Eletu popularly called Sam Larry.
These were disclosed yesterday,by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa, at a press briefing on the outcome of the interim report on Mohbad's death, held at the command's headquarters, Ikeja.
26 persons interviews
Aside the auxiliary nurse, 25 other persons according to Owohunwa, were interviewed in the course of the investigation . They included: parents of the deceased, Mr Aloba Joseph Oluwabamiwo and Mrs Abosede Aloba, whom the CP described as complainant and witness respectively.
Others who were interrogated included the deceased siblings: Mrs Kolawole Kemi Bose,(sister), Aloba Blessing Oluwaseun (sister), Mr. Aloba Aduragbemi Shedrack(brother ), all described as witnesses as well as his widow, Cynthia Adebajo; his Manager, Miss Seyi Awonuga; his Personal Assistant ,Miss Adeyemo Boluwatife (a.k.a Darosha); his Disk Jogger , Mr. Ajisegiri Ayobami and others whom he worked directly with.
Five arrested
However, among the 26 persons interrogated , five suspects according to Owohunwa, had so far been been identified, arrested, detained and interrogated on their alleged roles in the sequence of events that led to the death of the singer.
He gave their identities as the auxiliary nurse, the deceased's friend, Ayobami Sadiq, Abdulazeez Fashola, a.k.a Naira Marley, Samson Balogun Eletu popularly called Sam Larry and Prime Boy.
Highlighting evidence of the roles they allegedly played, Owohunwa said, " The Auxiliary Nurse who was contacted and invited by Ayobami Sadiq (a.k.a Spending), a friend to Mohbad,on 11th September, 2023 to treat the singer at his residence at Lekki-Lagos. She eventually came on Tuesday, September, 12, 2023 and administered three different injections which are believed to have occasioned the chain of reactions that directly resulted in the death of the singer.
"She is the Principal Suspect in the death of Mohbad. She acknowledged that it was the injections that she administered on the deceased that triggered the reactions which eventually led to Mohbad's death. Other expert opinions and witnesses' statements corroborated her admittance. Her actions of administering doses of Tetanus Toxoid, Paracetamol (IV) and Ceftriaxone injection (IV) on Mohbad at his residence on September 12, 2023, immediately and directly triggered the reactions
"This criminal liability is further heightened given the evidential fact that as an auxiliary nurse, she is not qualified to administer such medications or function as a qualified nurse. She also did this in a non-clinical environment and in a professionally negligent manner that negated standard medical protocols.
" Mr. Ayobami Sodiq , a friend to Mohbad who invited the auxiliary nurse to treat him is being suspected of conspiracy in the death of the singer.
His action in inviting a person known to him as an auxiliary nurse to attend to the deceased under a non-clinical setting occasioned Mohbad's death. He is being held for conspiracy to commit a felony".
For AbdulazeezFashola (a.k.a Naira Marley) and Samson Balogun Eletu popularly called Sam Larry, he revealed that "written testimonies of the witnesses aided detectives in gaining a clearer insight into the allegations of assault and bullying levelled against them.
"Many witnesses alleged that the deceased was indeed bullied and assaulted several times by AbdulAzeez Adeshina Fashola (a.k.a. Naira Marley) 'm' and Samson Erinfolami Balogun (a.k.a. Sam Larry) 'm' and their gangs. It was affirmed that sometime in 2019, the deceased was allegedly signed by Naira Marley into a record label known as Marlians Music Limited. Due to disagreement on terms of the contract, the deceased, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (a.ka. Mohbad) pressed for the revocation of his contractual relationship with Marlian Music Label, while also pushing to relieve his then manager who was a brother to Naira Marley.
"It was alleged that these moves irked the suspects, AbdulAzeez Adeshina Fashola (a.k.a. Naira Marley) 'm' and Samson Erinfolami Balogun (a.k.a. Sam Larry) 'm' who in consequence, allegedly on several occasions conspired, bullied, and assaulted the deceased. It was also asserted by some witnesses with corroborative video evidence that before his demise,Mohbad had raised alarm that his life was being threatened. That he was being bullied and assaulted by Naira Marley and Sam Larry.
Upon their arrest, AbdulAzeez Adeshina Fashola (a.k.a. Naira Marley) and Samson Erinfolami Balogun (a.k.a. Sam Larry) denied allegation of complicity in the death of Mohbad by pleading to the alibi that they were both out of the country when the incident occurred and that they were not in any manner involved in the chain of events that occasioned his death between 10th - 12th September, 2023. However, there are preponderance of evidence linking both Naira Marley and Sam Larry to the allegations of threat to life, cyber stalking and sundry crimes committed against Mohbad in his lifetime and they are being held liable".
"For the fifth suspect, Ibrahim Owoduni (a.k.a Prime Boy) who was the deceased's Childhood friend , he was discovered to have attended the show at Ikorodu with the deceased on September 10, 2023, at the end of which they both engaged in a violent fight during which Mohbad was injured. The management of the injury subsequently resulted in his death".
Actions untaken
He highlighted actions undertaken by the Special Investigation Team in the course of the investigation to include : Exhumation and Autopsy on Mohbad's body, Toxicology Tests , which results he said were still being awaited, as well as visit to Mohbad's home which was described as the crime scene, to review the Close Circuit Television footages covering days of the incident which he said was out of order.
"The engagement led to the recovery of remnants of the drugs, injections and other test kits administered by the auxiliary nurse, including; one Tetanus toxoid injection, three used syringes, two used syringes filled with suspected medicine contents, one packet of ceftriaxone solution, procaine penicillin injection, empty broken of diclofenac injection, paracetamol diluted with water, water for injection, six hand gloves, one bandage, one plaster and one iodine solution. Also separately recovered is the Mobile Phone of the deceased. All were registered as exhibits", Owohunwa said.
Detectives according to him, also visited Cura-Med Hospital and Perez Hospital, both in Lekki area of Lagos where Mohbad was taken to and pronounced dead on arrival, as well as Chandelier Night Club, in Victoria Island Lagos and Elegushi Beach, Lekki-Lagos, where he was said to have been assaulted and bullied , few months before his demise.
Medical Opinion
In addition, as part of the investigative effort, aimed at obtaining expert opinion on the likely cause of the death through a professional review, he said, " On September 26, 2023, a team of Medical Doctors, Pharmacist and Nurse drawn from Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Medical Association, and the Nigeria Police Force Medical Services jointly interviewed the Auxiliary nurse
"A detailed report which is being utilized as an expert opinion and critical evidence of high prosecutorial value has been submitted. It specifically identified some illegal acts and professional negligence in the manner the drugs were administered on the deceased by the principal suspect.
The Report also confirmed that as an auxiliary Nurse, Ms Feyisayo does not have the competence, knowledge,brief, or certification to diagnose, prescribe or administer drugs and injections on patients as she was supposed to work under the directives and supervision of a qualified medical doctor or nurse while on duty. The Report also strongly projected that there is a link between the medical negligence of Auxiliary Nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe and the death of Mohbad.
Autopsy
He said, "Although the result of the autopsy and toxicology tests are being awaited, substantial grounds have been covered well-enough by the Special Investigation Team to support the processing of the casefile to the Director of Public Prosecution.
"Consequently, the casefile is being duplicated and forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution for vetting and legal advice, the outcome of which could inform further investigative actions and prosecution.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"While re-assuring that the Command will sustain its firm determination to ensure justice in this case, I wish to assure that the members of the public will be availed of any further development in relation to the outcomes of the Autopsy and Toxicology Reports, DPP advice, feedback from NDLEA and any other development in the investigation into this case", he said.
...Nigerians react
By Benjamin Noku
Meanwhile, Nigerians yesterday took to their social media platforms to express dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Lagos State Police Command handled the investigation into the death of Mohbad.
Reacting to the Police revelation via the social media handles, some aggrieved Nigerians queried the relevance of the autopsy report, while also insisting that the late singer must get the justice.
One of the social media users, chefchichistephenie wrote, " Who invited the nurse? If they beat that nurse, she will talk about who paid her. They just wasted Mohbad's life just like that because of greed and his own sweat no be say he steal from una ...it will never be well with the nurse."
According to bernicemacleanbrown, "So if Mohbad had died due to the injections administered then it certainly means he was dead before he was taken to the hospital. But the big question here is !!If Rigor mortis had indeed taken place (stiffening of all the body parts after death) why was fresh blood found in his grave after his corpse was exhumed?
The fresh blood in the grave meant that he (Mohbad) was not dead and also there was no rigor mortis which is a clear clinical sign that shows that a person is dead didn't take place. I don't believe this calculation from the police.
"If there was indeed rigor mortis the so called pastor couldn't have even bent the neck to fit into the coffin. Not to talk of fresh blood in the grave after weeks of exhumation.."
Another social media user, _hinchin001 wrote, " They're trying to put the blame on the nurse whereby she's going to jail and naira and Sam Larry will be bailed by some huge amount of money."
