The autopsy report on the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, suggests that a drug reaction may have caused his death. Conducted at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, the autopsy and toxicology tests indicate the possibility of a fatal anaphylactic shock or drug reaction.
Anaphylactic shock is a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. The hospital collected samples from Mohbad’s gastric contents, blood, bone marrow, liver, kidney, and lung for the toxicology tests. The report revealed traces of Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine used to treat allergies, stomach issues, colds, and anxiety, in his blood. However, the drug concentration was not deemed fatal.
Anatomical and pathological examinations also noted an injury on Mohbad’s right forearm and moderate to severe body decomposition, which occurred as his body was exhumed eight days post-burial. No significant findings were directly linked to his death.
The report stated, “The body was neither autopsied nor embalmed before interment on the second day. Following the Order for Exhumation, the body was exhumed on 21/09/2023, eight days after the burial. Autopsy revealed moderate to marked decomposition of organs. Apart from the superficial injury on the right forearm, no significant gross finding could be attributed to death.”
It further highlighted the difficulty in determining fatal anaphylactic shock due to the delayed blood sampling caused by his early burial. “Toxicology revealed positive findings of Diphenhydramine; however, this concentration was not in a fatal or lethal range. The other analytics were unremarkable,” the report added. Thus, while a fatal anaphylactic shock remains a consideration, the exact cause of death could not be definitively determined.
Mohbad, a 27-year-old artist formerly signed to Naira Marley’s Marlian Music, died on September 12, 2023, under controversial circumstances, sparking widespread debate. The Lagos State Police Command formed a 13-member special investigation team on September 18, 2023, to probe his death, leading to the arrest of Naira Marley, Balogun Eletu (also known as Sam Larry), and others. His body was exhumed on September 21, 2023, for further investigation.
Counsel for the Lagos state government, O. Akinde, informed the Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu in November 2023 that a toxicology test was conducted in the United States. However, the National Medical Services Laboratories in Pennsylvania refuted claims that such a test was performed at their facility.
