The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed July 2, 2025, for judgment in a case filed by Mr. Joseph Aloba, father of the late singer Mohbad, seeking to nullify the legal advice issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that cleared Naira Marley and Sam Larry of involvement in his son’s death.
Justice Taiwo Olatokun set the date after hearing arguments from Aloba’s counsel, Wahab Shittu (SAN), and Joke Amachree, representing the respondents.
Mr. Aloba, acting on behalf of the Aloba family, contended that the DPP’s legal advice pre-empted the outcome of the ongoing Coroner’s Inquest into Mohbad’s death. He argued that the advice denied the family fair hearing and prematurely absolved key suspects who were still being mentioned in inquest proceedings.
In response, the DPP’s office, via a counter affidavit dated June 24, asserted that the suspects were not acquitted, but merely discharged due to insufficient evidence linking them to the singer’s death. Legal officer Ayinde Ibrahim explained that the decision followed a review of the police’s duplicate case file, which revealed no credible evidence implicating Naira Marley, Sam Larry, or others named in the file.
The DPP’s office also pointed out that:
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Neither the Coroner nor Mr. Aloba had access to the case file reviewed.
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No instructions were issued to delay the legal advice pending the Coroner’s verdict.
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The police were under no obligation to notify the Coroner before submitting the file to the DPP.
“The applicant and those who testified at the inquest did not provide any fresh, credible evidence that linked Naira Marley, Sam Larry, Prima Boy, or Opere Babatunde to Mohbad’s death,” the response stated.
The respondents described Aloba’s claims as speculative and unsubstantiated, insisting that the application lacked merit and should be dismissed in the interest of justice.
Justice Olatokun will deliver a ruling on July 2, 2025, determining whether the DPP’s advice will stand or be set aside.
