By Adadareporters
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has debunked the claims by the Nigeria Police that it did not respond to an enquiry sent to it on deceased singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.
Twent-seven-year-old Mohbad died on Tuesday, September 12th. Following the controversy surrounding his death, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, on Friday, said NDLEA was yet to confirm social media posts that it arrested and detained Mohbad on Feb. 24, 2022.
The inquiry came amid a social media post which alleged that Mohbad was allegedly injected with a substance while in NDLEA detention.
In a reaction on Saturday, in Abuja, the director, Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said the anti-drug agency responded to police enquiry since Sept. 28.
According to him, “To show the seriousness the NDLEA attached to the police enquiry, its formal response dated Thursday, Sept. 28 was sent to Lagos by air; delivered and received by the police same day.
“The summary of our response was that we also heard the unsubstantiated allegation on social media that the NDLEA arrested and detained Mohbad on Feb. 24, 2022, and he was given a substance to drink.
“In response to the allegation, we state categorically that Mohbad was neither arrested nor ever detained in the custody of the NDLEA on the said date or any other date before or after.
“The foregoing being the case, the issue of giving him any substance to drink does not arise.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has come up with an interim report on what the command believed caused the singer’s death.
According to the police interim report, the management of an injury inflicted on the late singer during a fight with his childhood friend, Prime Boy, resulted in his death. The report named an auxiliary nurse, Miss Fisayo Ogedengbe, as the prime suspect in Mohbad’s death after she admitted during interrogation that the injection she gave him triggered a reaction that led to his eventual death.
The auxiliary nurse admitted to have administered doses of Tetanus Toxoid, Paracetamol (IV) and Ceftriaxone injection (IV) on Mohbad, at his residence, on September 12, 2023.
Police investigation also established that the deceased was assaulted and bullied by the duo of Abdulazeez Fashola (a.k.a Naira Marley) and Samson Balogun Eletu popularly called Sam Larry.
Lagos State commissioner of police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, stated that, “The nurse is the principal suspect in the death of Mohbad. She acknowledged that it was the injections that she administered on the deceased that triggered the reactions which eventually led to Mohbad’s death. Other expert opinions and witnesses’ statements corroborated her admittance. Her actions of administering doses of Tetanus Toxoid, Paracetamol (IV) and Ceftriaxone injection (IV) on Mohbad at his residence on September 12, 2023, immediately and directly triggered the reactions.
“This criminal liability is further heightened given the evidential fact that as an auxiliary nurse, she is not qualified to administer such medications or function as a qualified nurse. She also did this in a non-clinical environment and in a professionally negligent manner that negated standard medical protocols.
“Mr Ayobami Sodiq, a friend to Mohbad who invited the auxiliary nurse to treat him, is being suspected of conspiracy in the death of the singer.
“His action in inviting a person known to him as an auxiliary nurse to attend to the deceased under a non-clinical setting occasioned Mohbad’s death. He is being held for conspiracy to commit a felony.
“Many witnesses alleged that the deceased was indeed bullied and assaulted several times by AbdulAzeez Adeshina Fashola (a.k.a. Naira Marley) ‘m’ and Samson Erinfolami Balogun (a.k.a. Sam Larry) ‘m’ and their gangs. It was affirmed that sometime in 2019, the deceased was allegedly signed by Naira Marley into a record label known as Marlians Music Limited. Due to disagreement on terms of the contract, the deceased, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (a.ka. Mohbad), pressed for the revocation of his contractual relationship with Marlian Music Label, while also pushing to relieve his then manager who was a brother to Naira Marley.
“It was alleged that these moves irked the suspects, AbdulAzeez Adeshina Fashola (a.k.a. Naira Marley) ‘m’ and Samson Erinfolami Balogun (a.k.a. Sam Larry) ‘m’ who in consequence, allegedly on several occasions conspired, bullied, and assaulted the deceased. It was also asserted by some witnesses with corroborative video evidence that before his demise, Mohbad had raised alarm that his life was being threatened. That he was being bullied and assaulted by Naira Marley and Sam Larry.
“Upon their arrest, AbdulAzeez Adeshina Fashola (a.k.a. Naira Marley) and Samson Erinfolami Balogun (a.k.a. Sam Larry) denied allegation of complicity in the death of Mohbad by pleading to the alibi that they were both out of the country when the incident occurred and that they were not in any manner involved in the chain of events that occasioned his death between 10th – 12th September, 2023. However, there are preponderance of evidence linking both Naira Marley and Sam Larry to the allegations of threat to life, cyber stalking and sundry crimes committed against Mohbad in his lifetime and they are being held liable.
“For the fifth suspect, Ibrahim Owoduni (a.k.a Prime Boy) who was the deceased’s childhood friend, he was discovered to have attended the show at Ikorodu with the deceased on September 10, 2023, at the end of which they both engaged in a violent fight during which Mohbad was injured. The management of the injury subsequently resulted in his death.,”
He highlighted actions undertaken by the Special Investigation Team in the course of the investigation to include exhumation and autopsy on Mohbad’s body, toxicology tests, which results he said were still being awaited, as well as visit to Mohbad’s home which was described as the crime scene, to review the Close Circuit Television footages covering days of the incident which he said was out of order.
According to him, “The engagement led to the recovery of remnants of the drugs, injections and other test kits administered by the auxiliary nurse, including one Tetanus toxoid injection, three used syringes, two used syringes filled with suspected medicine contents, one packet of ceftriaxone solution, procaine penicillin injection, empty broken of diclofenac injection, paracetamol diluted with water, water for injection, six hand gloves, one bandage, one plaster and one iodine solution. Also separately recovered is the mobile phone of the deceased. All were registered as exhibits.”
Detectives, he said, also visited Cura-Med Hospital and Perez Hospital, both in Lekki area of Lagos where Mohbad was taken to and pronounced dead on arrival, as well as Chandelier Night Club, in Victoria Island Lagos and Elegushi Beach, Lekki-Lagos, where he was said to have been assaulted and bullied a few months before his demise.
He added, “On September 26, 2023, a team of medical doctors, pharmacist and nurse drawn from Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Medical Association, and the Nigeria Police Force Medical Services jointly interviewed the auxiliary nurse
“A detailed report which is being utilized as an expert opinion and critical evidence of high prosecutorial value has been submitted. It specifically identified some illegal acts and professional negligence in the manner the drugs were administered on the deceased by the principal suspect.
“The report also confirmed that as an auxiliary nurse, Ms Feyisayo does not have the competence, knowledge, brief, or certification to diagnose, prescribe or administer drugs and injections on patients as she was supposed to work under the directives and supervision of a qualified medical doctor or nurse while on duty. The report also strongly projected that there is a link between the medical negligence of auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe and the death of Mohbad.
“Although the result of the autopsy and toxicology tests are being awaited, substantial grounds have been covered well-enough by the Special Investigation Team to support the processing of the casefile to the Director of Public Prosecution.
“Consequently, the casefile is being duplicated and forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution for vetting and legal advice, the outcome of which could inform further investigative actions and prosecution.”
