The National Medical Services Laboratories (NMS Labs) in Pennsylvania, USA, has denied claims by the Lagos State Government regarding the toxicology test of the late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad. This denial came to light after a fact-finding mission by Punch Newspaper aimed at uncovering the truth behind the musician’s death.
Initially, it was alleged that NMS Labs conducted a toxicology test to determine the cause of Mohbad’s untimely demise. This claim was presented in the Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu, Lagos, where the state government’s counsel, O. Akinde, stated in November 2023 that the analysis was performed in the United States as part of an autopsy process. The statement was further backed by Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, during a live interview in February 2024.
Contrary to these statements, NMS Labs informed Punch that no such test was performed at their facility, directly opposing the assertions made by Lagos State officials. This revelation came amidst growing public concern, especially after a pathologist at the Coroner’s Court reported that an autopsy could not determine Mohbad’s cause of death due to the decomposed state of his body.
Omotoso had previously said, “The matter is being handled by the state DNA and Forensic Centre, but they are doing skeletal services, and they have affiliate centres which are three. So, if there is an emergency like this one that we have, they will not say they cannot handle it. So, there are three of them in the US and the one handling this particular one is the NMS in Pennsylvania, USA.”
The test results were reportedly sent to Nigeria in April 2024 and passed to a pathologist for interpretation. However, during its investigation, Punch verified the locations of NMS Labs and its affiliated crime labs in Pennsylvania and Texas. An inquiry was sent to NMS Labs to confirm whether a toxicology test on Mohbad was conducted at their facility.
The inquiry stated, “I am a journalist from Punch Newspaper in Nigeria, currently working on a story involving the death of Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad. Following the Lagos State Government’s active interest in the case, the state Commissioner for Information revealed that the government conducted a toxicology test on the late artiste at your facility. However, conflicting reports have emerged, casting doubt on whether or not the toxicology test indeed took place at your facility. Clarification on this matter will contribute significantly to resolving the discrepancies surrounding the artist’s demise.”
In response, Esther Dede, Client Services Associate, Forensics Division at NMS Labs, refuted the state government’s claim, stating, “Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient.” She added that due to HIPAA privacy regulations, authorization from the submitting agency would be needed for further details.
When contacted on Wednesday, Commissioner Omotoso stood by his earlier statement, explaining that the information about the lab was provided by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre officials. He said, “This was what I was told by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre officials who took the sample there. We are dealing with the officials of the centre; they have three other labs that they have affiliations with. If they have an emergency, they can go to any of the three labs. I asked which particular one did they go to and they answered it was that one. That means I will have to go and check again because that was what I was told.”
