THE Lagos Annex, Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, of the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2, Alagbon, has commented on its inability to react to the petition of threat to life filed by late Rapper, Oladimeji Aloba aka Mohbad.
The spokesperson for the Lagos Annex of the FCID, Oluniyi Ogundeyi, in an interview with Nigerian media, The Punch, on Thursday, cited the inability of the petition to turn up to defend his petition as the reason they couldn’t act any further on it.
Mohbad, before his demise on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, had, on June 27, 2027, written a petition to the Force over alleged assault, amongst other threats to his life.
According to the Police, music promoter and Lagos socialite, Samson Balogun, aka Sam Larry and others named in the petition were subsequently invited for questioning.
The Force pointed out that a counter-petition was written by Sam Larry’s lawyer and the other suspects against the late Singer.
The Spokesman explained that the counter-petitioners claimed defamation of character even as Mohbad did not turn up to defend his petition.
He noted that the late Rapper was needed at the station to adopt and defend his petition, as well as provide proof of the allegations to assist the police in its investigation and possible prosecution of the suspects, if found wanting.
The reaction from the Police Force comes after the petition written by the late Rapper was leaked to the press.
In the petition, Mohbad had notified the Force of alleged threat to life, malicious damage, assault, and oppression, among others, against Sam Larry and others.
The petitioner disclosed that Sam Larry and 15 other men were all armed when they invaded the venue of a video shoot where he (the deceased) and another Singer, Omoniyi Temidayo aka Zlatan Ibile, were working; and threatened to assault him and cause mayhem.
Mohbad claimed to have been assaulted in the melee, with equipment worth over N5 million destroyed at the scene.
“We received the petition, and followed up on the information provided in the petition, and the suspects were invited. But MohBad refused to show up to defend his petition and also provide evidence to assist the police in carrying out a proper investigation and forward the matter to the legal department for prosecution, if necessary.
“It is true that MohBad reported the case on June 27, 2023. The IPO confirmed this to me today (Thursday), and showed me the case file. The IPO revealed that Sam Larry and other suspects mentioned in the petition were invited for questioning and they honoured the invite and also gave their statements. But the deceased refused to show up to adopt and defend his petition, and a lawyer to Sam Larry and the other suspects filed a counter-petition accusing Mohbad of defaming them.
“The police even reached out to Mohbad on several occasions, but he never showed up, and there was nothing the police could do if a petitioner refused to defend their petition and provide evidence to help the police in investigating the matter and forward the case file to the legal department of the suspects are found culpable,” the Spokesman revealed.
The Force had, earlier on Thursday, sworn to carry out an investigation into the death of the musician.
In a statement titled, ‘Mohbad’s Death: We Will Carry Out Diligent Investigation – FPRO,’ and published on the Force’s official X handle (formerly known as Twitter), the Force disclosed that it had been mandated to carry out a through investigation into the death by Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
According to the Force PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends, and fans of the late Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, known as Mohbad, who recently passed away. We understand the concerns regarding his untimely demise.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to a comprehensive investigation into this matter, as the Lagos State Commissioner of Police has been tasked to unravel the circumstances surrounding his death. Rest assured, updates will be provided as investigations unfold.
“We encourage family members or close associates with valuable information to approach the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to assist in this process. In the meantime, we kindly request that individuals refrain from making statements or engaging in activities that could jeopardize the ongoing investigation. Your trust and support are deeply valued.”