A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has dismissed a suit filed by the father of late singer Mohbad, Joseph Aloba, seeking to stop the legal release of Naira Marley, Sam Larry, and others from the case surrounding his son’s death.
Justice Taiwo Olatokun, who gave the judgment on Wednesday, ruled that the decision by the Lagos State Attorney General, through the Director of Public Prosecution, was within the law and could not be questioned.
“The exercise of powers by the Attorney General on whether to prosecute or not was validly exercised,” Justice Olatokun said. He added that the court could not grant the reliefs sought by Aloba.
The case was filed by Aloba on behalf of the Aloba family. He argued, through his lawyer Wahab Shittu (SAN), that the legal advice which led to the release of the suspects interfered with the Coroner’s Inquest still going on and denied the family a fair chance to be heard.
“We strongly believe in the merit of our case and are ready to test the judgment on appeal,” Shittu said after the verdict.
Aloba’s legal team said the release of suspects like Naira Marley and Sam Larry weakened the inquest into what really caused Mohbad’s death. They argued that some individuals were being cleared too early before full facts were known.
The DPP’s office, however, responded with a counter affidavit from legal officer Ayinde Ibrahim. He stated that the suspects were discharged, not acquitted, because there was no evidence linking them to the singer’s death.
“There is no fact disclosed which links Naira Marley, Sam Larry, Prime Boy, or Opere Babatunde directly or remotely to the death of Mohbad,” Ibrahim said.
The DPP explained that, unlike the Coroner or Aloba, their office had full access to the criminal case file and gave advice based on the facts available.
They urged the court to dismiss the suit in the interest of justice.
After the judgment, the mood in the courtroom was tense. Supporters of Mohbad and his father left in disappointment, with many still hoping for answers regarding the singer’s death, which took place in September 2023 under unclear circumstances.
