A human rights activist, Akinola Adelabu-Soul, has sought travel restrictions on Omowunmi, the wife of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad, and their son, Liam.
This was contained in a letter titled, “Urgent Request to Monitor and Prevent Departure of Mohbad’s Wife and Child,” and sent to PUNCH Metro on Tuesday.
Adelabu-Soul, in the letter addressed to 13 different consulates domiciled in the country, noted that the demise of Mohbad had left fans and fellow artistes in shock, adding that there were lingering questions surrounding the incident.
The Consulates highlighted in the document include those of the United States of America, Brazil, France, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, the Republic of Cyprus, Greenland, Canada, the Republic of Korea, and China.
While stating that Omowunmi was an integral part of Mohbad’s life, Adelabu-Soul noted the situation after the late artiste’s death remained sensitive.
He, therefore, urged the embassies to be vigilant and prevent their departure from Nigeria until the completion of the ongoing investigation.
The statement read in part, “Recently, the Nigerian music industry suffered a great loss with the untimely demise of the talented artist Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad. His passing has left fans and fellow artists in shock, and there are lingering questions surrounding the circumstances of his death.
“Omowunmi, his 24-year-old wife, was an integral part of Mohbad’s life. They were married, and together they had a young child named Liam. As investigations unfold, it has come to light that a nurse may be connected to the events leading up to Mohbad’s demise. The police have exhumed his body for an autopsy, and the situation remains highly sensitive.
“In light of these developments, I kindly request that your esteemed embassy be vigilant and prevent the departure of Wunmi and their child from Nigeria until the investigation is thoroughly completed.”
He further stated that their presence within the country during this critical period was essential for transparency and accountability.
“We trust that your office will handle this matter with the utmost discretion and urgency. The Nigerian people seek justice, and we believe that your cooperation will contribute significantly to achieving it,” he added.
Copied in the letter were the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Lagos State Police Command headquarters.
While Adelabu-Soul called on the NIS to monitor all travel-related activities of Wunmi and take necessary precautions to prevent her departure, he urged the police to be aware of the development and assist in ensuring that she remained in the country.
When contacted, Wunmi’s lawyer, Taiwo Olawanle, said Adelabu-Soul was not in the right position to write such a letter, adding that his client had no plans to travel out of the country.
“Whoever he (Adelabu-Soul) is, he is not in the right position to do that. If he wants to make the application, he knows where to address it to. The Coroner is there, the police are there, we don’t know him and we don’t know his interest in the matter.
“The police are working on the investigation. The matter is also before a competent court. The authorities on these issues are working on it. And Wunmi is also not planning to travel out of the country. She is here to bury her husband, and she is still interested in getting to the root of the circumstances surrounding the death of her husband,” Wunmi’s lawyer said.
Mohbad died on September 12 at the age of 27, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.
Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022.
The state Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the death.
His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, aka Sam Larry, amongst others.
The body of Mohbad was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.