Coroner Hears Testimony From Mohbad’s Parent
In her testimony to the coroner’s inquest investigating the cause of death of her late son, Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as MohBad, the mother said that MohBad was prophesied to become a pastor when she gave birth to him.
Mohbad’s mother, Abosede said she didn’t know her son was a musician until she reconnected with him at Ayobo in 2019 after leaving him with his father at seven.
Abosede said he was her second child and that Mohbad had two other siblings but when she and his father separated, she was not allowed to take the children with her except the last one because he was two years old at the time but he didn’t even stay long with her before the father took him away from her.
Mohbad’s mother said that upon learning that he was a musician, she wasn’t happy and told him about the prophecy she had that he was supposed to be a pastor, he joked about it.
She also told the court that she heard about the frequent beatings of her son by his former manager, Naira Marley and his associate, Sam Larry and that whenever she asked him to leave the music label, he told her he couldn’t leave until after three years as agreed or else they would take all he had.
She also said that at a point she told her son to call Fuji musician, pasuma to ask him to intervene in the troubles he was having with naira Marley and that pasuma promised to do so. She said she told him to also report to the Oba of Ikorodu but Mohbad told her not to worry
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“At a time again, the deceased had a show but could not attend because some people wanted to kill him and they were luring him to attend a show so they could kill him. Promise (Mohbad) told me it was Sammy Larry’s show. I asked further if the deceased had collected money for the show, and he told me Naira Marley was the one who used to collect the money for shows. The deceased did not go for the show.
Thereafter, any show that the deceased attended, he would be beaten by Sammy Larry and others and it was at the hospital that I used to meet him due to the beatings. I asked what the deceased would do as regards the beating; the deceased reported the incident at the police station.
“His father and I then concluded that we should go and report at the Oba of Ikorodu’s palace. The deceased accepted to go with us but three days later, the deceased told me that we should leave the people beating him.”
“I was at the deceased’s house on Saturday when the deceased told me that he had a show on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at Ikorodu but the following Tuesday I received a call that the deceased was dead after he sustained injuries from a fight with his friend prime boy,” she said.
After her testimony, she said in tears that her son had warned her never to speak out as she could be killed.
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MohBad’s father, Joseph Aloba also told the coroner that his son was buried the next day because the mortuary rejected him. He also said that in February 2022, his son was arrested along with others at Naira Marley’s house by NDLEA officers.
While in custody, he said Mohbad was given a substance to drink and started feeling unwell shortly after.
“During the shooting, Sam Larry came with his boys and they scattered the whole place and they were also trying to injure the deceased. I ran to the car because I was scared while the deceased was being beaten. Sammy Larry insisted that we were not going to leave the beach until he killed one of us. Zlatan pleaded on our behalf and Sammy Larry threatened to kill us anywhere he saw us.”
A lawyer representing the Aloba family, Taiwo Olawanle from the chambers of Femi Falana (SAN) presented the three witnesses in court on Wednesday. They were in turn cross-examined by other counsel representing the Lagos state government, the Nigerian Bar Association and the music industry.
Magistrate Adetayo Shotobi adjourned further hearing till November 7.