(Ilerioluwa Aloba. Photo by Premuim times)
The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled September 29, 2026, for judgment in a fresh suit seeking to compel the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to reopen investigations into the death of Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date on Thursday after hearing arguments in the matter filed by Break the Silence Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2026, lists the IGP, the Nigeria Police Force and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command as respondents. None of the respondents was represented in court when the matter was called.
During proceedings, counsel to the foundation, Chief Tunde Falola, adopted all processes filed on behalf of the plaintiff and urged the court to grant the reliefs sought.
The court also heard an application by one Samson Obaboye, who sought to be joined in the suit as an interested party, stating his support for calls for truth, transparency and accountability regarding the circumstances of Mohbad’s death and expressing a desire to place relevant facts before the court.
Justice Omotosho, however, dismissed the application, ruling that the applicant had failed to establish sufficient legal interest to warrant his joinder.
The court had earlier granted leave to Break the Silence Foundation to commence the action through an ex parte application seeking judicial review and an order of mandamus compelling the police to conduct a fresh investigation into the singer’s death.
Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, Falola said the foundation approached the court out of dissatisfaction with the outcome of the earlier police investigation, arguing that several critical aspects and possible leads were not adequately explored.
He said the organisation is particularly concerned about individuals who were reportedly among the last people seen with the deceased, insisting that their roles warrant further scrutiny.
“The circumstances surrounding his death remain mysterious and deserve public attention.
As a human rights organisation seeking justice, we believe the police should reopen the investigation,” he said, describing the suit as a mandamus proceeding aimed at compelling the police to revisit the cause of Mohbad’s death.
On the dismissed joinder application, Falola argued that the applicant had not demonstrated any direct interest in the case, adding that allowing every Nigerian to join proceedings without establishing a legal interest would amount to an abuse of court process.
Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, triggering widespread public outrage and demands for accountability. He was buried the following day, but his body was exhumed on September 21, 2023, for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Nearly three years on, controversy continues to surround the case, with his remains yet to be finally interred. His father, Joseph Aloba, has consistently called for justice and clarity over the circumstances of his son’s death.
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