CITIZENS COMPASS –Bqrely seven months after the death of the late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, the toxicology test carried out to determine the cause of his death has arrived from the United States of America (USA).
Lagos State counsel, Oluwaseun Akinde, who confirmed this to the coroner’s court sitting in the Ikorodu area of the state in November 2023 said the autopsy into the external body of the deceased was completed while the toxicology test had to do with the internal body.
However, an official of the state government who is familiar with the case told our correspondent on Thursday that the test result was sent to the state DNA and Forensic Centre last week.
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the matter added that the test result was transmitted to the police earlier this week.
“The toxicology test is ready and given to the police. We projected 10 weeks from the outset but it came in before then. It was received by the DNA and Forensic Centre last week and has been sent to the police,” the source said.
A source in the Lagos State Police Command who also spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not permitted to speak to the press confirmed the receipt of the result.
The source said, “The toxicology report is with us. It arrived on Monday but it is medical jargon for us. We don’t understand what it is. So it has been sent to the pathologist that carried out the autopsy to analyse and interpret it.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached as calls made to his phone were not answered. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time the report was filed.
The Director of Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, Richard Somiari, on March 20 said that the toxicology result would be ready in the next three to four weeks.
Somiari, while testifying during a coroner’s inquest into the death of the singer said, “We expected to get the first set of autopsy results in three to four weeks and re-confirm to authenticate the cause of the death.
“We searched for multiple possibilities, to check if poison was involved in the death of Mohbad since no actual cause was mentioned,” he said.
The forensic expert assured the public of adequate security and monitoring of samples for the autopsy.
“We have a place where items are stored for safety and security of results. There is a procedure for monitoring samples moved abroad,” he said.
Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.
A former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022.
The Lagos State Police Command had, on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.
His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and popularly Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, among others.
The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy.
—The PUNCH
