LAGOS- Protesters and fans gathered for a candlelight procession in memory of the late Nigerian singer Mohbad, and were reportedly dispersed by the police with tear gas at the Lekki Tollgate on Thursday night.
The procession, organised by Mohbad’s management, was intended to honour the late artist. Participants, dressed in white T-shirts, played and danced to Mohbad’s music as a tribute. According to reports, tear gas canisters were fired, allegedly by police officers present at the event.
Popular skit maker, Oluwadolaz, took to his Instagram page to claim, “We have been dispersed with teargas…” However, conflicting accounts emerged, with one individual claiming that the tear gas came from an unidentified group that arrived unexpectedly.
However, Lagos State police command has come out to state the reason for their action, they said in a statement:
“It is instructive to note that the Lagos State Police Command had an agreement with the organizers of the candlelight procession that the procession was to end at 8 pm latest and should terminate at Muri Okunola, Victoria Island. It was clearly stated for the avoidance of doubt that in the interest of all Lagosians and considering the heavy use of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, the Lekki Toll Gate would be a no-go area.
“It, however, became disconcerting that after the procession duly ended at Muri Okunola park as agreed, with the police providing optimal security all through, some persons started gathering at the Lekki Toll Gate with intent to manifest objectives extraneous to the #justiceforMohbad initiative.
“Being a clear violation of the laid down agreement, the Lagos State Police Command invited the procession organizers who came back and joined the officers on ground in persuading the people at the toll gate to disperse peacefully. The organizers equally sent out messages on social media asking everyone to go home, clarifying in clear terms that it was not a protest but a procession that had been successfully concluded. This persuasion and appeal went on for hours, to which the police and organizers met defiance, both in words and action. At this point, all lanes in and out of Lekki had been totally blocked. Vehicular movement on the ever-busy expressway had been brought to a total standstill, leading to traffic build-up”
Meanwhile, the ongoing investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of Mr Ilerioluwa Aloba is progressing well. The general public are, therefore, requested to avoid creating unnecessary distractions and give the Command the stable internal security space to undertake a conclusive and honest investigation.
“In this process, it should be noted that the Lagos State Police Command has, as promised, been interfacing closely and regularly with all meaningful support groups of #justiceforMohbad. This synergy shall be sustained while the general public are assured that they will be continually updated on the progress of the investigation”, the statement concluded
In related news, a police source told reporters that investigators had established that the musician- Mohbad- was beaten by the same people who always threatened and harangued him, after a show he had in Ikorodu.
He was said to have sustained injuries following the beating, leading him to seek the services of a nurse at home. One of the injections administered to him was an anti-tetanus injection. He started convulsing and allegedly died at home after the treatment. He was confirmed dead at the hospital. Meanwhile, the nurse has been arrested; the nurse was arrested three days ago,” the source said.
Mohbad’s father, James Aloba, had said in an interview that he suspected the auxiliary nurse who injected Mohbad before he died. According to him, the injection given to him might have complicated his son’s health.
IoiNews reported on Monday that Lagos State Police Command had inaugurated a 13-man special investigation panel to unravel what caused the death of the singer. Mohbad died on September 12, 2023.
Following his death, there have been allegations of assault on Mohbad by Naira Marley and his crew.
On October 6, 2022, Mohbad made a series of posts which read, “The events of the last two days have left indelible scars in my heart. I have always just wanted to create good music and to provide for my family and myself through my music. As an Artiste from the street, I thought the Marlian Family would be a good place for me.
“However, recent events and certain truths have come to light which threaten my peace, health and career. Because of these issues, I informed Naira Marley on the Marlian WhatsApp group chat of my intention to change my manager.
“This didn’t go down well with my current Manager Tunde (His Brother). There were instant angry outbursts and protests from him in the chat. I went to Naira Marley’s house with my Producer and my friend on the 4th of October, 2022, to have this conversation and reach a peaceful resolution.
“Me and the guys I was with were attacked, humiliated and stripped naked by Sid, Shuddy, Seyi and some of the other boys. We were barely able to escape. 3 of us had to be checked into the hospital to get medical care for the injuries sustained during the assault.
“Naira Marley was fully present throughout this event, and in fact, coordinated some of the attacks as he instructed the boys to beat us up. Some of this was captured on video.
“It is therefore disrespectful for Naira Marley to insinuate that I started the attack because I was intoxicated as he is fully aware of the facts and circumstances surrounding this violent attack. It is not the first time Naira has lied to push his own narrative, but it will hopefully be the last” he said.
SOURCE: Tribune
IMAGE: Ripple
