Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu should help me get justice for Mohbad — Dad

Joseph Aloba, the father of the late singer, Ilerioluwa, aka Mohbad, speaks to NAOMI CHIMA on the controversies that have continued trailing his son’s death, as well as the paternity test he is demanding on his grandson, Liam

The National Medical Services Laboratories in Pennsylvania, United States of America, recently denied the claim by the Lagos State Government that a toxicology test to ascertain the cause of Mohbad’s death was conducted at its facility. How do you feel about that?

What I heard saddened my heart, because they told Nigerians they were conducting a test abroad to find out what killed him. But, what I heard made me sad. I am sad because they did not take it to the level they should have.

I am begging my daddy (President Bola Tinubu) and Govenor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to please get involved in the matter, because Mohbad cannot die in vain. I have a feeling that he did not die a natural death. I beg Nigerians to be serious with this matter. I am begging those in power, including the Inspector General of Police and others to please investigate the case properly.

I did not think something like this would happen to him. For about eight months, the news has been the same. I am begging all Nigerians, especially mothers, in the name of God to help us find out how and why he died, because I don’t want him to die in vain. I don’t want to say my son was the only one that made me happy, but he is my happiness and has been taken away from me. If they check his phone, especially activities in the last three days before he died, they should find secrets on it.

Who do you suspect has a hand in your son’s death?

I suspect a lot of people. When he was exhumed from the grave, it felt like I suddenly became aware. I started hearing about things I had not heard before. I heard Mohbad did not collect the placenta of his child, and they (him and his wife) were contending with conducting a DNA test. After his death, I went inside his room and saw his clothes soaked in blood. His friend, Spending, told me that Mohbad and his wife fought at the show on that day, and on their way back home. PrimeBoy also said they fought on their way to the show. That is two people attesting to them fighting on that day. Also, there was blood in the house; and is that not suspicious? Why was blood in their house, and what kind of fight did they have?  Adura, my other son, was there, and he said he was always settling fights between Mohbad and Wunmi. Perhaps, the frequent fights were because my son had doubts about the paternity of the son, Liam.

Primeboy said so too. I am also suspicious, ‘Who did they give the placenta to’? If they want to find out who killed Mohbad, they should find out about the clothes soaked in blood.

Those are some of the things I saw that saddened me. I want this issue to be investigated. They should interrogate those that were living in the house.

Some Nigerians are saying that you and Wunmi fell out over money and property issues. What do you have to say about that?

There is no money matter between me and Wunmi. I loved my son and his wife. I cannot love my son and not love his wife. I love her, because she was my son’s wife. We are cordial, and we are free with each other; although not perfect. If she is away for some days, I have the right to scold her. But, what is disturbing to me is that I gave my son to her alive; so how did he end up dead, just three days after I saw him? Also, when Mohbad was exhumed, it felt like scales were lifted off my eyes, and I could see her real personality. I started observing her actions, and seeing how deceptive she could be. And, that made me not to like her. We spoke about a paternity test, and I wondered why did she not want to release the son for the test. Circumstances like that led to our disagreement.

When Mohbad was alive, did he doubt the paternity of Liam?

The reason I won’t accept Liam now is because some things are already coming to light. Mohbad’s friend, PrimeBoy, says he doubts the boy’s paternity. I don’t live with them, but with all these things happening, I am also having doubts. They did not give me the boy’s placenta; I believe they gave it to the right person.

We are not bow-legged in my family, but Liam is. All my children are tall and they look alike, but this boy doesn’t look like us. If the paternity test is done, we will be able to confirm if he is our son or not.

You were criticised for releasing a song at a time you should be mourning. What’s your response to the criticisms?

Singing is something I was born with. Mohbad also inherited it from me. It is not because my son died that I composed a song. It was actually when I gave birth to Mohbad’s younger brother that I recorded that song. All the things people are saying that I have moved on are just accusations. But, singing is part of the work I do.

If there are any other allegations, they should let me know, and I will respond to them.

At the court, the pathologist stated that the cause of Mohbad’s death could not be determined. How did that make you feel?

That day, I cried and called one of my friends in America, and told him what I heard. In the United States of America, even if a body is exhumed a year after it was buried, they can still do an autopsy and get the result of what killed the person. The result stating that they did not find out what killed Mohbad means there are some options they did not explore.

What other angles do you want the police to explore?

They should find out why his clothes were blood-soaked. His friends also stated that the CCTV cameras in his house were destroyed. Maggots were seen on his body too. I feel what happened was an evil planned by someone, and I will not rest until I get justice.

What has been the stance of his wife’s family in all this?

I am feeling the pain, because it happened to me directly. But, I have seen them (Wunmi’s family), and I think what they wanted was what happened. If not, why would my son die, and no one called me? His wife’s father even blocked me. He should come out and speak. It seems her family members don’t want us to find out what happened. If they wanted us to get to the root of the matter, they would have come out to speak. They should look me in the eye and dispute what I am saying. Why are Wunmi’s parents not talking? They should come out and seek for justice for Mohbad too.

Is it true that Wunmi has conducted a DNA test on Liam?

Even if they did a DNA, it is not something Nigerians will accept, because I was not there. As Mohbad’s father and head of the Aloba family, I should have been there. They should either do it in my presence, or I would do it myself; we can then compare the results. If the result I get are different from theirs, then we will know something is wrong.