The Lagos State Police Command has stated that admirers of late musician Ilerioluwa Aloba nicknamed Mohbad cannot seek the deceased’s body.
This comes after fans and friends of the late artist demanded that his body be released for burial.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023, marked two months since the late Mohbad’s body was exhumed and an autopsy was performed to determine the cause of the singer’s death.
The police have stated that the autopsy report has not yet arrived.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, had tweeted in September that an “autopsy has been concluded” and the police were “awaiting result.”
When asked by one of our correspondents on Monday about the release of Mohbad’s autopsy report, Hundeyin disclosed that the command had yet to get the report officially.
Hundeyin said, “The autopsy report has not been given to us. Some people have been carrying rumours that it’s ready. It’s one thing for it to be ready, it’s another thing for it to be given to us officially – that we would receive and sign a copy that we have received it. So, we don’t work with rumours, we work with facts.”
Nigerian artiste, Bella Shmurda, among other netizens and fans had appealed to the police to release the remains of Mohbad.
Mohbad’s mother, Olumiyi, also disclosed on Tuesday that she was at the state command last week and she was told his late son’s remains had since been ready for release.
She alleged that the father of the deceased was behind the reason her late son was not buried, insisting that the police had released the body but awaiting the family to come and take it for burial.
Olumiyi made this claim in a viral video on Tuesday while seeking support from Nigerians to appeal to the father to collect the remains of the late singer from Lagos State Police Command.
She said, “Nigerians, I cry to you to help demand the release of my son’s corpse. I pray that you will not witness your children’s death too.
“Mohbad’s corpse has been released since the completion of the autopsy but his father has refused to let his corpse be released for burial despite me begging him repeatedly.
“I went to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police last week, and he told me that Mohbad’s remains had been released before now, questioning why we are letting his body waste away and if we are happy that he’s dead,” she added.
“All of you that have gone to exhume Mohbad’s body should wake up now and insist that he (should) be buried. It is not like I have not been willing to voice out since but I leave everything to God. All the things the father has been saying are also left to God.”
But Joseph Aloba, the father of the late singer, had stated that nobody should collect his son’s body for burial without his authorisation.
He made this known in a video shared on TikTok on Sunday.
“When this boy was alive, he was alive. When he (left), he still retained my name. Nobody should go there and take his body, please,” he warned.
The singer’s father added, “If they want to do anything there, I’ll be the one to authorise them. Nobody should go and carry MohBad’s body from there.”
When quizzed further on Monday for a reaction to the delay of the autopsy result, Mohbad’s father went mum on the case.
“For now, I can’t say anything until we have another meeting in court. So, I don’t want to say anything concerning that now,” Aloba said.
Reacting during an exclusive interview on Monday evening with one of our correspondents, the police PRO said only Mohbad’s family could take his corpse.
The PPRO said, “On the issue of the corpse, fans cannot request the corpse, well-wishers cannot request the corpse, only the family can request the corpse and the family has not done that.”
Hundeyin added, “They (the family) will request it when they’re ready. If they request it today, they will get it today.”