Court okays hearing of suit seeking reopening of probe into Mohbad's death
A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for May 28 in a suit that is seeking to compel the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to reopen an investigation
A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for May 28 in a suit that is seeking to compel the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to reopen an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of popular musician, Mr Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, also known as Mohbad.
Justice James Omotosho chose the date on Monday after ordering the service of hearing notices on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the NPF, and the Commissioner of Police (Lagos State Police Command), to enable them to attend court.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/636/2026, was filed by the Registered Trustees of Break the Silence Foundation.
Justice Omotosho had, in a ruling on April 15, granted leave to the plaintiff to apply for an order of mandamus to compel the police "to conduct a thorough, diligent, impartial, and professional reinvestigation into the circumstances that led to Mohbad's death in Lagos in September 2023."
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In the ex-parte ruling, Justice Omotosho granted permission to the plaintiff to apply for "an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to perform their statutory duties as provided for under Section 4 of the Police Act 2020, by inviting all persons who were last seen with the deceased—particularly his wife, one Omowumi Cynthia Aloba; close associates; and the deceased’s father, one Joseph Aloba of Ikorodu area, Lagos—who hurriedly buried the deceased without police clearance first obtained, and/or by arresting and charging, where evidence so warrants, such other persons found to be directly or indirectly responsible for the death of the deceased, which occurred sometime in September 2023 in Lagos."
The judge also ordered the plaintiff to effect service of the originating summons on the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, listed as the third respondent, by substituted means.
He said the plaintiff shall serve the court documents on the Lagos Commissioner of Police by dropping a copy with any officer in the Legal Department of the NPF at the Force Headquarters, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
When the case was called on Monday, the plaintiff's lawyer, Chief Tunde Falola, told the court that all the respondents had been duly served with the documents filed in the suit, as ordered.
The controversial death of the 27-year-old musician sparked public outrage, with most of his fans alleging foul play.
