The National Medical Services Laboratories (NMS Labs) in Pennsylvania has denied the Lagos State Government's claim that a toxicology test to determine the cause of death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad, was conducted at their facility.
NMS Labs made this statement in response to inquiries from our correspondent, who investigated the cause of Mohbad's death.
Prior to this investigation, there were public protests against a pathologist's statement to the Coroner’s Court on May 15 that an autopsy could not determine Mohbad’s cause of death due to decomposition of the body.
In November 2023, state government counsel O. Akinde told the Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu that a toxicology test was conducted in the US as part of the autopsy. State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, reiterated this during a live call with Ahmad Isah on Brekete Family in February 2024, claiming the test was performed at NMS Labs in Pennsylvania.
Omotoso explained that the state DNA and Forensic Centre, which works with three affiliate labs in the US, managed the case, and the toxicology test was supposedly handled by NMS Labs.
The test results arrived in Nigeria in April 2024 and were handed to a pathologist, who later told the coroner’s court that decomposition prevented determining the cause of death.
During the investigation, our correspondent confirmed the locations of NMS Labs and sent an inquiry to verify the claim. NMS Labs' Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, Esther Dede, responded on May 17, denying that any test for Mohbad was conducted there, citing HIPAA privacy regulations.
When contacted, Omotoso stated that the information came from the state DNA and Forensic Centre and would need to be rechecked.
Mohbad, 27, died on September 12, 2023, sparking social media controversy. Formerly signed to Marlian Music, he left the label in February 2022. Following his death, the Lagos State Police formed a special investigation team, leading to the arrest of Naira Marley and Sam Larry. Mohbad’s body was exhumed on September 21, 2023, for an autopsy.
