Justice Taiwo Olatokun of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has rejected a lawsuit filed by Mr. Joseph Aloba, father of the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba (known as Mohbad), which sought to invalidate the legal advice given by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The advice had cleared music artists Naira Marley, Sam Larry, and others of any alleged connection to Mohbad’s death.
In the judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Olatokun ruled that the Lagos State Attorney General, through the DPP, holds constitutional powers to decide whether suspects should face prosecution.
“The powers of the Attorney General as conferred by the Constitution are not subject to judicial review in this context. Accordingly, the reliefs sought by the applicant lack merit and are hereby dismissed,” Justice Olatokun declared.
Represented by legal counsel Wahab Shittu, Aloba had claimed that the legal advice violated the principles of fair hearing. He argued that releasing the suspects compromised the ongoing coroner’s inquest into his son’s death.
However, the court did not accept this argument, stating that the DPP’s actions were lawful and supported by evidence. It also clarified that the suspects — Naira Marley, Sam Larry, Prime Boy, and Babatunde Opere — were discharged, not acquitted, due to a lack of sufficient proof linking them to the singer’s death.
In a counter-affidavit submitted on June 24, 2025, DPP legal officer Ayinde Ibrahim explained that the advice was based on a comprehensive evaluation of the police investigation.
“The legal advice did not find any direct or circumstantial evidence tying the named suspects to the death of the deceased,” Ibrahim said.
“Therefore, the advice to discharge them was in line with due process and the available evidence,” he added.
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