Three Years Later, Mohbad Still Not Buried as Family Dispute and DNA Issues Continue

It has been three years since music lovers, especially fans of street-pop, woke up to the sad news of Ilerioluwa “Mohbad” Aloba's sudden death. His passing threw the entertainment industry into deep mourning.

Three years after the 27-year-old singer's death, his fans and family, especially his father, Joseph Aloba, are still heartbroken. They keep asking if justice will ever come.

Despite going through several coroner’s inquest sessions and an autopsy, many questions about the circumstances of the “KPK” singer's death remain unanswered. Many allegations are still unsettled.

Mohbad’s father, whose son’s unique music style won him many fans in Nigeria and abroad, has been pushing for accountability for those responsible for his death. Yet, it seems little progress has been made in the case.

Background

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

After that, celebrities, family, and fans launched a big campaign demanding justice for the singer. This led to the exhumation of his remains for an autopsy, a coroner’s inquest, and the arrest of people close to him. Those arrested included Sam Larry, Naira Marley, Ibrahim “Primeboy” Owodunni, and Ayobami “Spending” Sadiq, among others. They were later released and cleared of any involvement in the singer’s death.

In 2024, many thought the investigations would give answers and find out who was behind Mohbad’s death. But the year ended with his remains still unburied and many questions still unanswered. During that year, his father released a tribute album, “Itunu”, which means “Comfort”, to mark the singer’s posthumous 28th birthday.

Mr Aloba explained that the delay in burying Mohbad was due to waiting for the DNA test results on Liam and the autopsy findings. That same year, the singer’s management filed a ₦200 million defamation suit against his father. Meanwhile, Naira Marley shared his side of the story about Mohbad's death in a music video called “Official Interview”, among other updates.

Two Years Later, No Justice

By 2025, questions about the cause of Mohbad’s death were still there as tensions between his father and his widow, Wunmi, flared up again. Early in the year, Wunmi claimed that Mr Aloba wanted her late husband’s properties. He insisted he just wanted to know what caused his son’s death.

Mr Aloba pushed for a DNA test on Liam and said he would sue Wunmi even if the results showed that his late son fathered the child. Naira Marley also said he had made peace with Mohbad before his death, but his name still came up in the discussions about the singer’s death.

That year, auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, who gave Mohbad a tetanus shot, shared how the singer died. A coroner later ordered her prosecution. Magistrate C.A. Shotobi stated that Ms Ogedengbe was not a registered nurse or licensed medical practitioner and acted unlawfully by giving the tetanus shot, which reportedly caused complications leading to the singer’s death.

Mr Aloba called on the Lagos State Government to do a forensic analysis of his son’s phone after rejecting an earlier court ruling. He insisted on further investigations in his quest for justice. Social activist VDM also interviewed several people linked to the case, including Sam Larry, who insisted he had nothing to do with the singer’s death.

Also, Adura Aloba, Mohbad’s younger brother, revealed what happened after two hospitals declared the singer dead. He said the singer’s body had not been embalmed, going against his father’s claim that it had been.

Naira Marley released a documentary where he denied killing Mohbad. Wunmi criticized her father-in-law for wanting a DNA test, claiming he could not control the process. She also took legal steps to protect her late husband’s estate, while Mr Aloba argued there was no valid marriage between his son and Wunmi.

Is Justice Coming?

In 2026, the controversy continued. Early in the year, Yomi Fabiyi asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to include Mohbad’s father in the new police investigation into the singer’s death. The year also brought another setback in the long-standing fight over Liam’s paternity. Two of the three foreign labs approved by the Magistrate’s Court in Ikorodu to do the DNA test said they did not offer such testing.

The approved labs included DNA Diagnostics Centre in Fairfield, Ohio, USA, suggested by the applicant; AlphaBiolabs in Warrington, UK, suggested by Wunmi; and Advanced Histopathology Laboratory Limited in London, UK. Both AlphaBiolabs and Advanced Histopathology Laboratory Limited, which were suggested by Wunmi and the Welfare Officer, confirmed that they did not offer the necessary DNA testing.

A court also accepted a new suit asking for another police investigation into Mohbad’s death. Mr Aloba expressed disappointment and felt betrayed while asking the Lagos State Government to choose a proper hospital to conduct the DNA test. He still insisted that a DNA test was needed to confirm Liam’s paternity.

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja set 29 September to give a ruling in a suit seeking to make the Inspector-General of Police reopen investigations into Mohbad’s death. The judge set the date after hearing arguments in the suit filed by Break the Silence Foundation, a non-governmental organization.

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 for the foundation, Tunde Falola, presented all the documents filed on behalf of the plaintiff and urged the court to grant the requests made. The court also heard an application from Samson Obaboye to join the suit as an interested party.

As the case enters its third year, Nigerians and Mohbad’s fans worldwide keep asking if the singer will ever get justice and if his remains will finally be buried. Fans also took to social media to honor him as they marked three years since his death.