Nigeria: Court rejects appeal demanding new investigation into Mohbad's death

The Federal High Court in Abuja rejected an appeal on September 25, 2026, from a non-governmental organization that had requested the Nigerian police conduct a new investigation into the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad, according to Nigerian newspapers Vanguard and Premium Times.

The appeal was filed by the Registered Trustees of Break the Silence Foundation against the Inspector General of Police, the Nigerian Police Force, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police. The association sought judicial review and an injunction compelling law enforcement to reopen the case, arguing that the initial investigation was insufficient and that certain individuals had not been questioned.

A decision based on legal standing

Justice James Omotosho ruled that the NGO lacked the legal standing to act and that its request was baseless. According to Vanguard, the magistrate noted that the organization had failed to produce any report from the initial police investigation to demonstrate its shortcomings, relying instead on "a mere assertion without evidence." Premium Times also quoted the judge as deeming the appeal meritless and warning against abusive litigation. The magistrate further cautioned lawyers against making public comments on ongoing cases.

The decision therefore concerns the admissibility of the appeal and the lack of evidence provided, rather than an assessment of the merits of the police investigation. No criminal liability has been established in this case to date.

Three years later, a case still open in the public eye

Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 24. Buried the following day, his body was exhumed nine days later for an autopsy, Premium Times recalls. Three years later, several questions remain unanswered according to the newspaper: the paternity of his son Liam, the ownership of his assets, and the findings of the investigation. His father continues to demand clarity and has postponed a final burial while awaiting answers.

Beyond the Mohbad case, this decision raises a question that resonates across the continent's creative industries: who has the standing to bring the memory of a deceased artist before a judge, and with what evidence, when the family and the public are awaiting answers that the police institution has not made public. Judicially, the case remains in the hands of the Nigerian police.