End of the road? Autopsy report fails to ascertain cause of Mohbad’s death

A Forensic Scientist and Pathologist from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Sunday Osiyemi has told the coroner inquiring into the cause of death of late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba popularly known as Mohbad that the results of an autopsy conducted on the deceased body has failed to ascertain the cause of death.

Prof. Osiyemi told the coroner, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi that this conclusion can be attributed to several reasons, one of which is that it took a long time, about 21 days before the autopsy was conducted by which time, the body had decomposed.

While giving further clarifications on the proceedings, counsel to Mohbad’s family, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu said, “The Pathologist said the body ought to have been exhumed within 12 hours after it was buried to avoid decomposition. So the summary he is saying is that the cause of death cannot be ascertained and when you say the cause of death cannot be ascertained, it means it is suspicious, it is not clear, no particular reason.”

The lawyer also said the pathologist referred to certain drugs administered on the late Mohbad before he died which could have caused a reaction that made it difficult to ascertain the cause of death.

Shittu said, “He also went further to say that it may be attributed to reactions to certain drugs administered on him before he died. Again he then qualified that to say he does not know whether it is those drugs that actually led to his death”.

The Coroner has adjourned to June 11th for the cross-examination of the Pathologist.