Taiwo POPOOLA
A civil advocacy organisation, United Advocates Group, UAG, has called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, to constitute a new investigative team to handle the ongoing re-investigation into the death of singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
The group said replacing the current investigators with officers who were not involved in the earlier probe would help guarantee an impartial, transparent and credible investigation.
The appeal was contained in a statement signed by UAG’s legal adviser, Oluwatosin Afolabi.
The organisation expressed concern that the fresh investigation, which began in April 2025 following the intervention of the former Inspector-General of Police, had yet to conclude being transferred to the Lagos State Police Command.
According to the group, developments that emerged during the process warranted further investigation and the questioning of relevant individuals.
“The April 2025 re-investigation, initiated after the intervention of the former Inspector-General of Police, had remained unresolved after being transferred to the Lagos State Police Command,” the statement said.
It added that “new facts prompted the Inspector-General’s investigative team to visit Lagos twice, raising prima facie issues that require the interrogation of relevant suspects.”
UAG warned that further delay in assigning the matter to a fresh team at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, could further erode public confidence in the process.
The organisation argued that officers who participated in the previous investigation should not be tasked with reviewing the same allegations, stressing that an independent team would strengthen the exercise’s credibility.
“The officers involved in the earlier investigation should not review the same issues in order to preserve independence and credibility,” it stated.
The group said a change in the investigative team would help rebuild public trust and demonstrate the police command’s commitment to establishing the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death.
“We urge the Commissioner of Police to intervene immediately and ensure an independent, transparent and credible re-investigation,” UAG said.
The organisation had previously raised similar concerns in a May statement, alleging that one of the officers involved in the initial investigation failed to adequately pursue important leads connected to the case.
UAG further alleged that the officer did not respond to a subpoena issued by the Coroner’s Court until the proceedings had ended.
The group also questioned the conduct of another officer, alleging inconsistencies in his account of his involvement in the investigation.
According to UAG, the officer initially acknowledged being assigned to the matter but later denied knowledge of the reassignment when contacted subsequently.
Mohbad, a prominent Afrobeats singer, died in September 2023 at the age of 27, sparking widespread public concern and calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
His death also generated several legal and public disputes, including matters involving his estate, music royalties and the paternity of his son, Liam, who was born in April 2023, months before the singer’s death.
