Three years later, Mohbad still unburied as DNA saga, family crisis persists

It has been three years since music lovers, particularly fans of street-pop, woke to the news of the sudden death of Ilerioluwa “Mohbad” Aloba, plunging the entertainment industry into mourning.

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Three years after the 27-year-old singer died, his fans and family members, particularly his father, Joseph Aloba, remain grief-stricken and continue to question whether justice will ever be served.

Despite multiple appearances before the coroner’s inquest and an autopsy, questions surrounding the circumstances of the “KPK” singer’s death remain unanswered, with several allegations still unresolved.

Mohbad’s father, whose son’s distinctive style of music earned him a growing following among Nigerians and music lovers around the world, has continued to demand accountability for those responsible for his death. However, little progress appears to have been made in the case.

As the years pass, Mohbad’s family is still struggling to lay him to rest. His remains, which the authorities exhumed for investigation months after his burial, have yet to return to the earth as a bitter dispute over the paternity of his son, Liam, continues to pit his father, Mr Aloba, against his widow, Wunmi.

Genesis

Mohbad, known for his hit song “Feel Good”, died on 12 September 2023 after receiving treatment from an unlicensed nurse. His family buried him the following day.

In the months that followed, celebrities, family members and fans launched a widespread campaign demanding justice for the singer. The campaign led to the exhumation of his remains for an autopsy, a coroner’s inquest and the arrest of people close to him, including Sam Larry, Naira Marley, Ibrahim “Primeboy” Owodunni and Ayobami “Spending” Sadiq, among others. Authorities later released them, and they were cleared of allegations linking them to the singer’s death.

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In 2024, many believed the investigations would lead to a resolution and establish who was responsible for Mohbad’s death. However, the year ended with his remains still unburied and several questions unanswered. During the year, his father released a tribute album, “Itunu”, meaning “Comfort”, to commemorate the singer’s posthumous 28th birthday.

Mr Aloba also explained that the delay in burying Mohbad stemmed from delays in conducting a DNA test on Liam and releasing the autopsy results. In the same year, the singer’s management filed a ₦200 million defamation suit against his father. At the same time, Naira Marley shared his side of the story about the death of his former signee in a music video titled “Official Interview”, among other developments.

Two years later, no justice

In 2025, questions about the cause of Mohbad’s death remained unanswered as tensions between his father and his widow, Wunmi, resurfaced. Early in the year, Wunmi alleged that Mr Aloba was after her late husband’s properties, but he maintained that he wanted to establish the cause of his son’s death.

Mr Aloba continued to insist on conducting a DNA test on Liam and vowed to sue Wunmi even if the results showed that his late son fathered the child. Naira Marley also revealed that he had made peace with Mohbad before his death, but his name remained closely associated with the controversy surrounding the singer’s death.

In the same year, auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, who administered a tetanus injection to Mohbad, narrated how the singer died. A coroner subsequently ordered her prosecution. Magistrate C.A. Shotobi held that Ms Ogedengbe was neither a registered nurse nor a licensed medical practitioner and, therefore, acted unlawfully by administering the tetanus injection that reportedly triggered complications that led to the singer’s death.

Mr Aloba also called on the Lagos State Government to conduct a forensic analysis of his son’s phone after rejecting an earlier court decision and insisting on further investigations in his pursuit of justice. Social activist VDM also interviewed several people connected to the case, including Sam Larry, who maintained his innocence over the singer’s death.

Furthermore, Adura Aloba, Mohbad’s younger brother, shed light on the events that unfolded after two hospitals pronounced the singer dead. He said the singer’s body had not been embalmed, countering his father’s claim that it had been.

Naira Marley also released a documentary in which he denied killing Mohbad. Wunmi attacked her father-in-law over his demand for a DNA test, saying he could not manipulate the process. She also took legal steps to safeguard her late husband’s estate, while Mr Aloba maintained that there was no valid marriage between his son and Wunmi.

Is there going to be justice?

In 2026, the controversy continued. Early in the year, Yomi Fabiyi petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), seeking the inclusion of Mohbad’s father in the police’s reinvestigation into the singer’s death. The year also brought another setback in the long-running dispute over Liam’s paternity. Two of the three overseas laboratories approved by the Magistrate’s Court in Ikorodu to conduct the DNA test said they did not offer such testing.

READ ALSO: Almost three years later, Mohbad still unburied as his father insists on DNA

The approved facilities included DNA Diagnostics Centre in Fairfield, Ohio, United States, proposed by the applicant; AlphaBiolabs in Warrington, United Kingdom, proposed by the respondent, Mohbad’s widow, Wunmi; and Advanced Histopathology Laboratory Limited in London, United Kingdom. Responses from AlphaBiolabs and Advanced Histopathology Laboratory Limited, which Wunmi and the Welfare Officer nominated, indicated that neither facility offered the required DNA testing.

A court also approved a new suit seeking a fresh police investigation into Mohbad’s death. Mr Aloba expressed disappointment and alleged betrayal while appealing to the Lagos State Government to select an appropriate hospital to conduct the DNA test. He continued to insist that a DNA test was necessary to establish Liam’s paternity.

Also, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja fixed 29 September to deliver judgment in a suit seeking to compel the Inspector-General of Police to reopen investigations into Mohbad’s death. The judge fixed the date after hearing arguments in the suit filed by Break the Silence Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2026, listed the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, as respondents. Counsel to the foundation, Tunde Falola, adopted all the processes filed on behalf of the plaintiff and urged the court to grant the reliefs sought. The court also heard an application by Samson Obaboye to join the suit as an interested party.

As the case entered its third year, Nigerians and Mohbad’s fans across the world continued to ask whether the singer would eventually get justice and whether his remains would finally be laid to rest. Fans also took to social media to pay tribute to him as they marked three years since his death.