The Lagos High Court in Ikeja has dismissed the application filed by Mr. Joseph Aloba, father of the late singer Mohbad, seeking to overturn the legal advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and subsequent court proceedings that freed Naira Marley, Sam Larry, and others suspected of involvement in Mohbad’s death.
Justice Taiwo Olatokun ruled on Wednesday that the Attorney General’s authority—exercised through the DPP—to decide whether or not to prosecute was valid and could not be questioned. As a result, the reliefs sought by Mr. Aloba were denied, and the court dismissed the application.
Mr. Aloba, who attended the hearing with supporters, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision. His lawyer, Wahab Shittu, indicated that they are prepared to appeal the ruling.
The suit, brought on behalf of the Aloba family, argued that the DPP’s legal advice prematurely freed key suspects before the Coroner’s inquest into Mohbad’s death had concluded, and cited a lack of fair hearing.
The DPP’s office countered that those released were only discharged, not acquitted, and that no evidence linked Naira Marley, Sam Larry, Prime Boy, or Opere Babatunde directly or indirectly to Mohbad’s death, forming the basis for their release.
