Pathologist speaks on Mohbad’s death, rules out drug abuse

The cause of the death of Nigerian Afrobeats singer Ireoluwa, popularly known as Mohbad, remains a mystery to Nigerians two years later.

The news of Mohbad’s passing broke a day after his death on 12 September 2023. He died at age 27. At the time of the reportage, the cause of his death was uncertain, but the auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, who administered injections to him, was indicted.

Another school of thought believed that his death was a result of drug abuse. A Nigerian forensic pathologist, Uwom Eze, has dismissed it.

At the coroner court hearing on Friday, Mr Eze, head of the Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Pathology, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan,

presented his findings after conducting a second autopsy and medical review on Mohbad.

He argued that what was found in the singer’s system was “regulated” doses of antihistamines, medications commonly used to treat allergy symptoms, not hard drugs as earlier claimed.

Mr Eze also added that though he couldn’t ascertain how the injection was administered, he discovered that it was superficial after examining the wound that led to it.

“I couldn’t tell how the injection was given because I had already lost (his) fluids,” he said.

Medical misadventure

Asserting that the wound couldn’t have led to such deep complications, he said, “Even a newborn baby won’t die from that injury. At the time I conducted the autopsy, it wasn’t even there, maybe because of the post-mortem changes on the body”.

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Describing the incident as a “medical misadventure”, the pathologist said the singer may have died from a “severe allergic reaction” to the injected substance, which led to multiple organ failure.

“Considering all the postmortem findings, including ancillary tests and available information, a major disruption of vital organ systems of the body with resultant fatality due to a severe and rapid hypersensitivity reaction to a substance administered by parenteral route is plausible,” he added.

Death

Recall the news of his death broke a day after his death on 12 September 2023. At the time of the reportage, the cause of his death was uncertain, though fingers were pointed at the auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, who administered injections to him. He died at age 27.

As the days went by, more information unravelled, and more people were also accused of his death. The likes of his former label boss, Naira Marley and Sam Larry (Marley’s associate) were also charged and arrested.

The late singer’s best friend, Owodunni Ibrahim, popularly known as Prime Boy, was also accused and had a one million naira bounty on him by the Lagos State Police Command.

He was buried the following day. On 13 September 2023, his body was exhumed by police for an autopsy.

In May 2024, the pathologist in charge of the autopsy revealed that the cause of death could not be ascertained due to the decomposition of his body.

According to a toxicology report from June 2024, Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, was found in the singer’s system. However, it was not in a lethal concentration.