The story of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, also known as Mohbad or Imole (Light) is a revalidation of the saying that death is not the ultimate end but the beginning of a new life.
His tragic death on September 12, 2023, was indeed a rebirth of his musical career and fame. While it may seem his story followed the path of rappers who became more famous and commercially successful after dying in tragic circumstances, there is a little twist in Mohbad’s trajectory.
Unlike most rappers who became famous after death, Mohbad was not a known gangster.
The Martyrdom Of Mohbad
The “revelations” that followed Mohbad’s death and the anger and rage that met them almost threw Nigeria into a state of social turmoil.
His death took a controversial turn after a video surfaced online where popular socialite and Marlian Music boss, Naira Marley’s associate, Samson Balogun, aka Sam Larry, and others were seen disrupting a video shoot of the late rapper somewhere in Lagos.
Thousands of irate youths thronged to social media lampooning Sam Larry and his associate and Mohbad’s estranged record label boss, Naira Marley, accusing them of being responsible for the rapper’s death.
The rage of the youths waxed stronger after a letter from Mohbad informing the Nigeria Police Force of the threat to his life surfaced online.
However, the Lagos Annex, Force Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force released a statement, saying it could not act on Mohbad’s petition due to his refusal to come up and adopt, defend, and also provide evidence to support the allegations made by him.
The Police Public Relations Officer, FCID Annex, Lagos, Oluniyi Ogundeyi, noted that a lawyer to Sam Larry and the other suspects also wrote a counter-petition against Mohbad, alleging defamation of character, after the singer failed to show up to defend his case.
Naira Marley and Sam Larry were eventually invited for questioning by the police following public outcry. They and two others were, on October 6, 2023, arraigned and remanded over circumstances surrounding the death of Mohbad.
However, they were later granted bail by a Lagos State Magistrate’s Court.
Another “revelation” that sparked controversy was the “discovery” that Mohbad was buried barely 24 hours after his death. The shocking discovery angered many youths who called for his body to be exhumed for an autopsy to determine the cause of his death.
His body was eventually exhumed for autopsy about a week after his death. The police said the body was deposited at the morgue after the autopsy was conducted.
Soon after, the calls for justice for Mohbad took another turn after some social media influencers and celebrities demanded a DNA test on Mohbad’s son, Liam, to ascertain his true paternity after it was revealed that the late rapper and his wife, Omowunmi, had misunderstandings.
Mohbad’s father, Mr. Joseph Aloba also joined the calls by Nigerians for a DNA test on his grandson, emphasizing that it must be done in his presence.
Mohbad’s mother, Mrs. Promise Aloba, who has been separated from her husband for 15 years, was silent on the issue.
His widow, Omowunmi later accepted a DNA test to be conducted on their son, saying it should be done both in Nigeria and abroad.
In November, Wunmi told the Coroner Inquest into her husband’s death that Mohbad had died long before he was declared dead due to past incidents of bullying, psychological trauma, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, arrest.
She said the singer had a fight with his friend, Owodunni Ibrahim, also known as Prime Boy, shortly before his death.
She explained that he sustained an injury from the fight and died after he was injected by a nurse. She noted that the nurse who injected Mohbad had been treating him for two years.
The Lagos State Police Command had in October declared Primeboy wanted and a N1 million bounty put on his head.
Primeboy turned himself in less than 24 hours after he was declared wanted.
However, before turning himself in, Primeboy made several revelations in an interview, including claims that Mohbad’s wife is trying to frame him.
He also claimed that the police lied about inviting him for questioning over the death of rapper, Mohbad, saying he wanted to “explain myself at the station because they started accusing me wrongly” before seeing online that he had been declared wanted.
Mohbad Lives On!
Mohbad’s death can be said to be revolutionary. His death brought attention to the contractual agreements between “desperate” young artists and record labels and the “hidden costs” of such agreements.
It also helped other celebrities who are battling depression and other forms of psychological traumas to speak up and seek help.
At the same time, Mohbad dominated social media trend tables and music streaming platforms in Nigeria and overseas. Candlelight processions were held in his honour in territories he never stepped foot on, and celebrities he looked up to, paid homages to him – And his picture donned the famous New York Times Square.
Mohbad has also posthumously featured in singles by Nigerian singer, Chike, and Ivorian-British singer, Afro B.
Sadly, four months after his demise, the puzzle surrounding the death of Mohbad has remained unsolved – The result of the autopsy conducted three months ago is yet to be announced, the police are yet to announce their findings from the interrogation of the auxiliary nurse who injected Mohbad, Naira Marley, Sam Larry, Primeboy and others, and the Coroner Inquest is yet to present its report.
His body is yet to be reburied or given a “befitting” burial as demanded by some celebrities and fans.
Even the result of DNA on his son, Liam, is yet to be made public despite initial pledges by some Nigerians to sponsor it.
Mohbad would have been 28 today, January 3. Happy posthumous birthday, Imole!