Justice Taiwo Olatokun of the Lagos High Court has dismissed a request from Joseph Aloba, the father of the late rapper Mohbad.
He had asked the court to cancel the DPP’s legal advice and stop the process that cleared Naira Marley, Sam Larry, and others of any role in Mohbad’s death.
But the court ruled that the request had no legal basis, meaning the previous clearance still stands.
The court said the attorney general followed proper legal steps in dropping charges, and for that reason, it turned down Mohbad’s father’s plea. Mr. Aloba, who attended the hearing with others, didn’t hide his disappointment.
Mohbad’s father, Mr. Joseph Aloba, took legal action against the Lagos Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), challenging the decision to clear Naira Marley, Sam Larry, and others linked to his son’s death. His lawyer, Wahab Shittu, argued the move came too soon — before the coroner’s inquest could finish its investigation — and denied the family a fair hearing.
In response, the DPP’s office said the suspects were not acquitted but only released due to a lack of evidence directly tying them to the case. The state also explained that the DPP used official case files not available to the coroner or the applicant, and that no solid facts connected the accused individuals to Mohbad’s death.
While the DPP’s counsel didn’t comment, Aloba’s legal team has said they’ll appeal the ruling.
