Femi Falana (SAN), the Nigerian human rights lawyer, through his law firm, Falana & Falana’s Chambers, has responded to Mr. Joseph Aloba, the father of the late singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, widely known as Mohbad, regarding allegations of threats to his life by the lawyer.
Reports and videos have been making the rounds on the internet where Mr. Aloba accused Falana and late Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi of threatening to kill him.
He asked the Nigerian government to hold Falana and Wunmi responsible if anything happens to him.
But reacting to the allegation, Falana’s law firm in a rejoinder issued on Thursday by Taiwo E. Olawanle, Esq., recounted their journey on Mohbad’s case since his death in September 2023, stressing that Mr. Aloba is only after his late son’s estate and having refused to follow due process, he is merely engaging in puerile blackmail to accomplish his mission.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to the reckless statements credited to Mr Joseph Aloba on several online platforms, television and radio stations regarding Mr Femi Falana (SAN).
“This rejoinder is necessary to set the records straight on the roles played so far by our law firm in unravelling the circumstances surrounding the death of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
“It is no longer news that Mohbad died in September 2023 under questionable circumstances. Upon the death of this young man, many well-meaning Nigerians and human rights groups contacted our office to assist in unraveling the circumstances surrounding his death and get justice for the family.
“The widow of the late singer, Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba also contacted our office to help in a similar vein.
“At that juncture, Mr. Falana called Mohbad’s father and commiserated with him and assured him of his readiness to ensure that the law takes its cause. Our office immediately petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command requesting a thorough investigation into the case.
“In addition to the above, our office also wrote to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State requesting a Coroner’s Inquest into the remote and immediate cause of the death of Mohbad.
“Our office sent a delegation of lawyers to Mohbad’s residence at Orchid in Lagos to take the statements of those close to the late singer including his wife, parents and staff.”
The statement further noted that “As events unfolded, we realised that the late Mohbad’s father, Mr Joseph Aloba is not interested in unraveling what led to the death of his son but after his estate.
“Hence, he rushed the burial of Mohbad in an unmarked grave without any autopsy to know the cause of death of the deceased. However, at our request, the body of Mohbad was later exhumed for investigation by the Police.
“Since our aim and goal in the matter is to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Mohbad through the instrumentality of the law, we had no choice but to distance ourselves from Mr Joseph Aloba’s opportunism and puerile blackmail.
“While the matter is still pending before the Coroner and Police investigation has not been concluded, Mr Joseph Aloba through his solicitors wrote a letter dated the 25th day of November 2023 to our office wherein he requested Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to hand over her son for DNA test to ascertain his paternity.
“While our client and our law firm are not opposed to conducting the test as stated in our reply, we drew attention to Section 57 of the Child’s Right Law of Lagos State which empowers only the Court to order the use of scientific tests including blood tests and DNA where paternity is in issue.
“Furthermore, we made it clear that under the provisions of the Child’s Right Law of Lagos State, the only person who has the locus standi to request a DNA test to confirm the paternity of a child is the father of a child.”
The law firm stated that “Notwithstanding the position of the law, we advised that due process of the law be followed i.e. obtaining a valid court order for Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to present her son for the test.
“Since our position was made known, Mr Joseph Aloba has not taken steps to obtain the court order to enable Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to submit her son for the test.
“Meanwhile, the Coroner has since taken testimonies from several witnesses including Mr. Joseph Aloba and Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba. However, the proceedings have been stalled due to the delay in getting the autopsy report from the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Government.
“Having said the above, we find it preposterous that Mr Joseph Aloba has said that Mr. Falana and Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba be held responsible if he is killed.
“We have taken appropriate measures under the law to restrain Mr. Aloba from further associating Mr. Falana with murder and other forms of criminal offences.
“We will not allow Mr. Aloba and his cohorts to destroy the reputation which Mr. Falana has built at home and abroad.
“Finally, Mr. Aloba is definitely deceiving himself if he believes that his empty vituperations and vulgar abuse will force us to withdraw from further representing Mrs Wunmi Cynthia Aloba to enable him to inherit the assets of his late son, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (a.k.a. Mohbad).”