The Lagos State Police Command has addressed the ongoing request for the release of late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, emphasizing that only the family has the authority to request the release of the deceased artiste’s remains.
Quest Times reports that despite appeals from fans and friends for the release of Mohbad’s corpse for burial, the police stated that they have not received the official autopsy report.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the State Police Public Relations Officer, emphasized the importance of working with facts rather than rumours, while speaking with newsmen.
“The autopsy report has not been given to us. Some people have been carrying rumours that it’s ready. It’s one thing for it to be ready, it’s another thing for it to be given to us officially – that we would receive and sign a copy that we have received it. So, we don’t work with rumours, we work with facts,” Hundeyin said.
The controversy surrounding Mohbad’s burial escalated when his mother, Olumiyi, on Tuesday, claimed in a viral video, that the remains had been released but were being withheld by the deceased’s father.
She urged Nigerians to intervene and pressure the father to collect Mohbad’s remains.
Joseph Aloba, Mohbad’s father, had also asserted in a TikTok video that nobody should collect his son’s body without his authorization. He insisted that any action regarding Mohbad’s body must be authorized by him.
The delay in the release of the autopsy result further fuelled tensions, as Mohbad’s father remained tight-lipped on the matter, citing a forthcoming court meeting as the reason for his silence.
“For now, I can’t say anything until we have another meeting in court. So, I don’t want to say anything concerning that now,” Aloba said.
In an exclusive interview, Benjamin Hundeyin reiterated that only the family could request the release of Mohbad’s corpse.
“Fans cannot request the corpse, well-wishers cannot request the corpse,” he clarified.
Hundeyin affirmed that once the family expresses readiness, they can obtain the remains promptly.
“They (the family) will request it when they’re ready. If they request it today, they will get it today,” he said.