Mohbad family lawyer says police have authorised fresh investigation

The family of late singer Ilerioluwa “Mohbad” Aloba says the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has authorised a fresh investigation into the circumstances of his death. The disclosure came from the family’s lawyer, Monisola Ogungbe, in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES. He said the family submitted its petition on April 14 and that it was received at Police Force Headquarters in Abuja on May 7.

Ogungbe said the directive was separate from a recent Federal High Court decision in Abuja dismissing a case that sought to compel the authorities to reopen the investigation. The suit was filed by the Registered Trustees of Break the Silence Foundation, which the court found lacked the legal standing to bring the action. According to the lawyer, the family’s petition requested an independent and thorough reinvestigation and raised inconsistencies in the earlier inquiry.

He said the IGP approved the request and directed the Lagos State Police Command to act. The family was subsequently informed that officers in the Special Enquiry Bureau had been assigned to the matter. Ogungbe said a family representative had been invited and had engaged with the new investigative team.

The family, he added, was continuing to follow up with investigators. The lawyer said the dismissed suit was not filed by the family and was brought without its knowledge or consent. He argued that the court’s decision did not end the separate investigative process initiated through the family’s petition.

Police spokespersons at the national and Lagos commands did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report. Ogungbe said the family would cooperate by providing documents, witnesses and other relevant material, while seeking an independent and transparent process that would establish the facts without prejudging the outcome.