The officials at the US National Medical Service Laboratories (NMS) in Pennsylvania have denied conducting toxicity tests on the late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba, aka Mohbad, as alleged by the Lagos State government.
This revelation was in response by NMS to a pathologist’s claim on May 15 that an autopsy on Mohbad’s decomposed corpse could not determine the cause of his death.
Recall that Mohbad’s death had caused major controversy in the Nigerian scene, leading African Television and the African Foundation for Justice to offer a N50 million reward to anyone with relevant information about the killers of the 27-year-old Mohbad who died under mysterious circumstances.
The Client Services Associate, Forensic Divisions of NMS, Esther Dede, had revealed that the late singer’s toxicity test was not carried out anywhere around the lab’s premises.
“Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient.” Dede was quoted to have said.
“To maintain our compliance with HIPAA privacy regulations, we would need authorisation from the submitting agency,” Dede had added.
However, things are not are they seem as the Lagos state Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, upon being contacted for confirmation on Wednesday, May 29 had maintained that NMS Lab was the name of the medical facility submitted by the state’s DNA and Forensic Centre for Mohbad’s autopsy.
Meanwhile, Mohbad’s lawyer, Wahab Shittu has promised that the outcome of the singer’s autopsy test as reported by the pathology would not be the end of this controversy. Essentially saying that he would leave no stone unturned until justice was served.
What They’re Saying:
The Lagos State Commissioner had been quoted to have 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.”
“The pathologist mentioned the body’s decomposition as a major reason the cause of death was un-ascertained. When you say the cause of death cannot be ascertained, it is suspicious. It is not clear.
Why It Matters
Based on the conflicting statements, all fingers point to the fact that there might be procedural lapses or miscommunications within the state government or its associated forensic institutions.
The Lagos State government is claiming that the toxicity test was conducted by NMS, but NMS’s denial of having any record if it makes the whole situation seem off. denied having any record of it.
This discrepancy not only suggests possible issues with the management and communication of the forensic institution, but lack of accountability on the part of the state government.
If the state’s DNA and Forensic Centre provided incorrect or misleading information, the fault would have been theirs but without more details, it is difficult to assign blame definitively.
What is clear is that this situation needs thorough probing and highlights the need for more transparency in handling such sensitive cases.
