Who Killed #Mohbad and Our Raging Emotions

When the death of Afrobeats star Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, (aka Mohbad, aka Imole) greeted the airwaves on the 12th of September, 2023, it was with rude shock. Well, in this life, if you have been around for some time, there's nothing rude about death. Good people die. Bad people die. The elderly die. Youngsters die. And depending on what philosophies rock your world, death to some of us is just the beginning.

I am enthralled by the sheer show of love that people around the world have shown. It is quite impressive to see people in different cities home and abroad putting on activities for this late young talent. I am not so much of a fan, but I have danced to a couple of his tracts maybe before I even knew who he was. He was a talent and would be definitely missed.

The fandom he enjoys in death is possibly bigger than when he was alive. I am amazed by the eulogies across different continents as they continued to pour in, which is the reason I felt very proud of the late Mohbad. The processions and gatherings are indeed an unusual show of love. In fact this has led me into trying the dark humour of asking whether Nigerians are waiting for our leaders to completely murder our country before we can come out in these numbers to protest 'Justice for Nigeria', afterall no one single individual is greater than Nigeria -as we believe.

With these processions, eulogies and elegies is also the cry for retribution. A call for justice to be served to those who 'killed' him. The list of his possible murderers ranged from a music promoter to his former record label boss and his team, his wife, his friends, his uncle, his mother, his stepmother, even his father. The list may possibly include just about anyone depending on whose script you are reading from.

I follow the news with my heart and my head, maybe this is why some things don't add up for me in the events that have quickly followed. I also know the reprisal that may come at dissenting opinions.

People are calling for justice for Mohbad. Great idea!

But I am yet to read where anyone has been able to as much as state HOW 'they' killed him, congruent to our laws. We must know that the law does not work based on our emotions or sentiments. We may ask the police to make arrests and force them to make those arrests but with what crimes are they charging those people? And it would take just about the best lawyers in the industry to link that directly to Mohbad's demise. The law understands evidence. Even circumstantial evidence would be a needle in this haystack. Well, I am not a lawyer.

I fear that we are transferring our concept of jungle justice in the market square to how contemporary civil law should work. I am afraid no.

When this is done and gone -because in 2 months, Nigerians would have moved on to the next dead cat in the room, save probably the medical personnel who last attended to him, nobody is going to be charged with any crimes.

And I think that than the much ado about 'who' killed Mohbad, we should pursue 'what' killed Mohbad. That may just be the perfect reflection that could save many others less popular as Mohbad but who are ready meat for the killer 'thing'.

What killed Mohbad? The answer my friend, is flying in the wind.