The spokesman for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Femi Babafemi, has refuted claims that the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka MohBad, was poisoned in their custody.
In an X post on Saturday, Babafemi argued that the deceased was not one of the Marlian Music acts arrested by the agency in 2022, as speculated by many.
He added that this makes it impossible for MohBad to have been poisoned in their custody.
Babafemi shared a link by an online platform which detailed the arrest of six people, two females, and four males, in the persons of Oniyide Azeez (Zinoleesky), Owoeye Michael (m) and Abimbola Ogbe (m).
Others are Dominica Chinwe (f), Olaolohun Shubomi Mariam (f), and Ibrahim Alawo (m).
“This is an authentic account of the arrest and detention of some Malian artistes in February 2022, an incident that has now been twisted by purveyors of fake news to say Mohbad was poisoned or detained by the agency.
“I hope they’ll be bold enough to defend their claims when the hand of the law catches them,” Babafemi tweeted.
Babafemi’s tweet is coming hours after a now-viral video of the deceased surfaced online, showing him weeping in what looked like a hospital.
In the video, MohBad claimed he was harassed and given a white substance to consume.
“They gave me water to drink, it was inside a bottle of water plastic. They said I was using drugs. I was the only one who drank it; they didn’t give others to drink. I won’t lie. Then they told me to go home and told the others to wait.
“They even hit a gun on my head. I saved Zino in that video but Zino snitched on me.”
Meanwhile, the acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has authorized a “thorough” investigation of the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this Saturday on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a photo of the IGP and the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Idowu Owohunwa.
Adejobi captioned the post: “IGP and CP Lagos deliberating on the death of Mohbad at the Police Airwing, Muritala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja Lagos on Saturday.”
“IGP and CP Lagos deliberating on the death of Mohbad at the Police Airwing, Muritala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja Lagos on Saturday. The IGP immediately directed CP Lagos to deploy the command’s resources to carry out thorough investigation on the matter. The IGP promised the CP of… pic.twitter.com/7sVjlatU2E
— Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi (@Princemoye1) September 16, 2023
He added that the IGP “immediately directed CP Lagos to deploy the command’s resources to carry out thorough investigation on the matter. The IGP promised the CP of adequate support on the case”.
The directive comes two days after the police gave an assurance of their commitment to a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances behind the 27-year-old’s death on Tuesday evening.
The Afrobeats singer, popular for his hit ‘KPK (Ko Por Ke)’, was signed to Marlian Records until his exit in 2022 to start his own record label, Imolenization.
The Lagos State Police Command says it has commenced a full investigation, indicating the possibility of exhuming the singer’s remains.
According to a statement Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the probe follows “growing public concerns” and a preliminary police review of the general circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s demise.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa, has directed the commencement of full-scale criminal investigation into the case,” the command said.
The objective of the investigation, it said, is to establish facts, “clearing all doubts and ensuring that justice is manifestly served through a meticulous process that will deploy all requisite protocols (which may include exhumation), as well as technical and scientific tools that are vital to the detailed investigation of homicide allegations of this nature.”