Mohbad: IGP approves fresh probe into singer’s death, family says

Updated 11:30 WAT, 15 October 2026: As of 15 October, the Nigeria Police Force had not publicly confirmed the reinvestigation, and no arrests, new police statement or appeal by Break the Silence Foundation had been reported.

Updated 11:20am WAT, Friday, 2 October 2026: the family’s petition cited inconsistencies in the first investigation and asked for a forensic review, according to the lawyer’s full statement published by Premium Times; police spokespeople did not respond to the paper.

The Mohbad death probe is open again. Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has approved a petition from the late singer’s family for a fresh investigation, the family’s lawyer, Oladayo Ogungbe, said in a statement dated Tuesday, 29 September 2026.

The petition pointed to inconsistencies in the earlier police investigation and asked for a comprehensive forensic review of the events that led to the singer’s death, Ogungbe said in the statement, which Premium Times published on the evening of Thursday, 1 October. The IGP told the Lagos State Police Command to act at once, and according to the family, the file was assigned to officers of the Special Enquiry Bureau (SEB). A new team of investigators has already met a representative of the Aloba family. “The reinvestigation is ongoing,” the statement says.

Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, died in Lagos on 12 September 2023, aged 27. The family’s news landed four days after a federal judge in Abuja refused an NGO’s request for the very same thing.

How did the Mohbad case get here?

The new probe is the latest step in a three-year fight over how the singer died. Here is the run of events, from the sources listed below:

• 12 September 2023: Mohbad dies and is buried the next day. Police exhume his body for an autopsy nine days later, on 21 September (Premium Times).
• July 2025: A Lagos coroner, Magistrate Shotobi, says the cause of death could not be fixed with certainty because of decomposition, but finds he likely reacted fatally to an injection. He recommends prosecuting the auxiliary nurse who gave it (Radio Nigeria Lagos).
• 14 April 2026: The family files its petition to the IGP. It reaches Force Headquarters in Abuja on 7 May (Ogungbe’s statement).
• 16 April 2026: His father, Joseph Aloba, asks the IGP on Channels Television to take the case away from the Lagos command.
• 25 September 2026: Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, throws out a separate suit by Break the Silence Foundation that asked the court to force a new police probe (Premium Times).
• 29 September 2026: Ogungbe’s statement says the IGP has approved the family’s petition.

Is this the same as the case the court dismissed?

No. The suit dismissed on 25 September was brought by Break the Silence Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, and asked a judge to order the police to investigate again. Justice Omotosho ruled that the foundation had no standing to sue and had not shown the first probe was incomplete, Premium Times reported.

The family took a different route: a petition straight to the Inspector-General, who can direct his own officers without a court order. Ogungbe stressed that the petition was separate from the foundation’s case, and told Premium Times that the suit was not filed by the family, nor with its knowledge or consent. The foundation’s convener, actor Yomi Fabiyi, told Vanguard on 30 September that it rejected the judgment “in its entirety” and would weigh its options.

What does the Mohbad death probe mean for the coroner’s findings?

On its own, nothing. The fresh investigation is a police inquiry, not a court ruling, so it does not change what the coroner found in July 2025. Mohbad’s widow, Omowunmi Aloba, had not commented publicly on the new probe in the reports GistMatrix reviewed.

What happens next

The family says SEB detectives now hold the file and that it will keep giving them documents, witnesses and other material. As of 11:30am WAT on Thursday, 15 October, the Nigeria Police Force had not publicly confirmed the reinvestigation or given a timeline, and no arrests or new police statement had been reported. Force spokesperson Anietie Iniedu and Lagos command spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi did not respond to calls and messages from Premium Times on Thursday. Break the Silence Foundation had not announced an appeal as of 15 October.

FAQ

Who approved the fresh probe into Mohbad’s death?
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu approved the family’s petition, according to a statement by the family’s lawyer, Oladayo Ogungbe, dated 29 September 2026.

Which police unit is handling the Mohbad case now?
Officers of the Special Enquiry Bureau (SEB), after the IGP forwarded the petition to the Lagos State Police Command, Ogungbe said.

Why did Mohbad’s family ask for a fresh probe?
Their petition cited inconsistencies in the earlier police investigation and asked for a comprehensive forensic review of how he died, the family’s lawyer said on 1 October 2026.

When did Mohbad die?
Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, died on 12 September 2023, aged 27.

Do you think a fresh police probe will finally settle the Mohbad case? Tell us in the comments, and keep it respectful.

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