The Lagos Coroner Court has revealed that the toxicology test, which is the most crucial aspect of an autopsy to determine the cause of the late singer Mohbad’s death, is being conducted in the United States of America (USA).
This was disclosed by the state counsel, O. Akinde, on Wednesday, during the coroner’s inquest into the singer’s death.
Akinde told the Coroner Magistrate, Adetayo Shotobi, that the autopsy into the external body of the deceased had been completed, but the toxicology test, which has to do with the internal body, is still ongoing in the US. He said that the test results would be available in a few weeks.
Akinde made the disclosure in response to the concerns raised by the counsel to Mohbad’s father, David Fadimu, the counsel to TNKay Music Worldwide, David Nawoola, and the representative of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikorodu, O.S.A. Aranmolaran. They had expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in the autopsy report and the lack of transparency in the investigation.
Newsflash Nigeria reports that Mohbad died in a controversial manner on September 12, 2023, after he collapsed on stage during a performance at the Ikorodu Music Festival.
He was buried the following day in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, without a proper autopsy.
Following the outcry which trailed his death, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, ordered a forensic investigation to unravel the cause of the death.
Also, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, based on the IGP’s directive, set up a 10-man team, including a pathologist, to exhume the singer’s corpse and investigate his death.
The coroner’s inquest, which commenced on October 16, 2023, is expected to hear from various witnesses, including the singer’s family, friends, colleagues, and medical personnel.
The inquest is also expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the singer’s burial and the role of the police in the investigation.
The coroner’s inquest is a judicial inquiry into the cause and manner of a person’s death, especially when the death is sudden, violent, or unnatural. The coroner’s inquest is not a criminal trial, but a fact-finding exercise to establish the truth about the death. The coroner’s inquest can make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
