The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed September 29, 2026, to deliver judgment in a lawsuit seeking a fresh police investigation into Mohbad’s death.
Justice James Omotosho announced the date on Thursday after hearing submissions from lawyers in the suit filed by the non-governmental organisation, Break the Silence Foundation.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2026, was instituted against the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command. None of the respondents was represented when the matter came up for hearing.
Counsel to the foundation, Tunde Falola, urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought, including an order directing the police authorities to reopen investigations into the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death.
During the proceedings, the court also considered an application filed by Samson Obaboye, who sought to be joined in the case as an interested party.
Obaboye argued that he supported calls for truth, accountability, transparency, and justice over the late singer’s death and wished to present facts he believed were relevant to the matter.
However, Justice Omotosho dismissed the application, ruling that the applicant failed to establish sufficient legal interest to justify his participation in the proceedings.
The Break the Silence Foundation had earlier secured the court’s approval to commence the action through an ex parte application for judicial review and an order of mandamus seeking to compel the police to reopen the investigation.
Speaking with journalists after the hearing, Falola said the organisation approached the court because it was dissatisfied with the outcome of the previous police investigation.
“The circumstances surrounding his death remain mysterious and deserve public attention,” Falola said. “As a human rights organisation seeking justice, we believe the police should reopen the investigation.”
He added that the lawsuit specifically aims to compel law enforcement authorities to revisit the investigation into the cause of Mohbad’s death, insisting that several critical issues and possible leads were not thoroughly examined during the initial inquiry.
Commenting on the dismissed joinder application, Falola maintained that the applicant failed to demonstrate any direct legal connection to the matter.
“You must show the court your interest in the matter. The applicant did not establish that he is a police officer, a party to the suit, or someone directly connected with the proceedings,” he said. “If every Nigerian were allowed to join the matter without demonstrating a legal interest, it would amount to an abuse of court process.”
Mohbad, whose real name was Ilerioluwa Aloba, died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 27. His passing sparked widespread public concern and intensified demands for accountability across Nigeria.
Nine days after his death, the singer’s body was exhumed for an autopsy as investigators sought to determine the exact cause of death.
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Despite the investigations, unanswered questions have continued to fuel public interest, while his remains have yet to be released for burial.
In February 2025, a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Sabo, Yaba, discharged and acquitted singer Naira Marley, music promoter Sam Larry, and other defendants after legal advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions found no evidence linking them to Mohbad’s death.
With judgment now scheduled for September 29, all eyes will be on the Federal High Court as it determines whether the police should be compelled to reopen one of Nigeria’s most closely watched cases in recent years.
