A Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu, Lagos State, has warned that key witnesses, including Naira Marley (Azeez Fashola) and Sam Larry (Samson Eletu), risk being subpoenaed for failing to appear at the inquest into the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad.
The magistrate overseeing the case, T. A. Sotobi, authorized substituted services after Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, requested that witness summonses be served through a national newspaper and social media. The court had summoned several key witnesses, including Mohbad’s lawyer, his nurse, and his driver, but only Boluwatife Adeyemo, an ally of Mohbad, was present during the latest court session.
Taiwo Odumosu, head of the Aloba family’s legal team, mentioned that if the remaining witnesses fail to attend the next court hearing, scheduled for September 30, they would be subpoenaed. Odumosu also expressed disappointment with the police’s handling of the investigation, accusing them of relying too heavily on witness accounts rather than conducting a thorough probe. The family is still awaiting access to evidence for an independent autopsy and toxicology report, as previously ordered by the court.
Mohbad’s death at 27, on September 12, 2023, led to widespread controversy, with accusations of foul play. Following the incident, Naira Marley, Mohbad’s former record label boss, and Lagos socialite Sam Larry were arrested as part of the investigation.
