Headline

[PHOTOS] Mohbad: Protesters Storm US Lab, Demand Clarification On Toxicology Test

Published

1 year ago

June 26, 2024

A group of protesters on Monday stormed the headquarters of the National Medical Services Laboratories in Pennsylvania, the United States over the outcome of a toxicology test reportedly conducted in the facility to determine the cause of death of late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.

A member of the Aloba family’s legal team, Taiwo Odumosu, disclosed this to The PUNCH on Wednesday.

Recall that the US-based lab refuted the claim by the Lagos State Government that the toxicology test was conducted at its facility.

The revelation was in response to inquiries made by our correspondent, who embarked on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the musician’s cause of death.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, while responding to inquiries via a live telephone call with Ahmad Isah, the anchor of an Abuja-based online programme, Brekete Family, sometime in February 2024, had said the toxicology test was being conducted at the NMS Labs in Pennsylvania, USA.

However, a pathologist while testifying before the Coroner’s Court on May 15, revealed that an autopsy couldn’t determine Mohbad’s cause of death due to the decomposition of his body.

Responding to The PUNCH’s inquiry on May 17, the Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, NMS Labs, Esther Dede, stated, “Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient.”

The family’s legal team, however, alleged that there were discrepancies regarding the involvement of NMS Labs, adding that the letterhead and address of the facility appeared on the toxicology report despite conflicting statements from the laboratory regarding their actual role in the testing process.

The protesters, however, demanded clarification on the involvement of the laboratory amidst conflicting reports and public concern over the integrity of the test results.

In a letter presented to NMS Labs and made available to PUNCH Online, the Justice for Mohbad group and the legal team urged the facility to provide an official statement regarding the toxicology tests conducted on Mohbad’s samples.

The letter read in part, “It has come to our attention that there are circulating reports suggesting that toxicology tests on samples of the late singer and songwriter, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, submitted by the Lagos State Government or other government entities from Nigeria, were conducted at your laboratory, NMS Labs.

“These reports have caused significant public concern and confusion regarding the integrity and source of the toxicology results as it also referred to ITSI Biosciences as a partner that concluded the toxicology test on behalf of NMS Labs. The PUNCH, a widely read and respected tabloid in Nigeria, in its May 31, 2024, edition had claimed that US Labs Denies Conducting Poison Test on Mohbad. The tabloid referred to your esteemed organisation as the source of information and there is real evidence to confirm this.”

They also sought clarifications on whether the lab received samples from the Lagos State Government or any Nigerian government entity.

“Considering these circumstances, we kindly request that NMS Labs issue an official open letter or public statement clarifying that no toxicology test samples related to the late Ilerioluwa Aloba (Mohbad) were received by NMS Labs from the Lagos State Government or any other government body from Nigeria and hat NMS Labs is not affiliated with any other laboratory that conducted toxicology tests on the aforementioned samples,” the statement read.

The legal team emphasised the importance of transparency and accuracy in the matter, urging NMS Labs to issue a public statement to dispel misinformation and maintain its reputation.

“An official statement from NMS Labs will greatly assist in dispelling any misinformation and ensuring that the public receives accurate and reliable information. It will also help maintain the integrity and reputation of your esteemed laboratory in the eyes of the global community.

“We understand the sensitivity and confidentiality of such matters and assure you that this request is made in the interest of transparency and justice. Your prompt response and cooperation in this matter would be highly appreciated,” the statement added.

Headline

Court Jails Two For Targeting President With Sorcery

Published

21 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A Zambian court on Monday sentenced two men to two years in prison with hard labour on charges of attempting to use witchcraft to kill the country’s president.

Mozambican national Jasten Mabulesse Candunde and Zambian village chief Leonard Phiri were arrested in December in possession of charms, including a live chameleon.

Police said they planned to use the charms to harm President Hakainde Hichilema, and they were charged with professing knowledge of witchcraft and possession of charms.

“The motive of the crime was to kill the head of state,” magistrate Fine Mayambu ruled in the capital Lusaka on Monday.

“The convicts were not only enemies of the head of state but all Zambians. I therefore sentence them to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour from the date of their arrest,” he said.

The prosecution said the men had been hired by the brother of opposition MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who is facing trial for robbery, attempted murder and escaping custody.

Headline

Two Nigerians Face Jail Terms In Liberia’s Piracy Trial

Published

21 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

Criminal Court ‘D’ in Monrovia is set to deliver judgment this week in Liberia’s first piracy trial, involving two Nigerian nationals accused of hijacking a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to court records, the defendants were arrested earlier this year after a Liberia-flagged ship was seized by armed men while transporting goods through international waters. The crew sent a distress signal, prompting international maritime forces to intervene.

The suspects were subsequently transferred to Liberian authorities under global maritime cooperation protocols.

According to Liberia’s news platform, Front Page Africa, the case has attracted attention because Liberia maintains one of the world’s largest open ship registries, yet prosecutions for piracy within its domestic courts have not previously occurred. Under international law, Liberia holds jurisdiction over crimes involving ships registered under its flag.

On Monday, proceedings took a new turn when defense lawyer, Cllr. Bestman Juah, informed the court that the defendants had admitted responsibility for the hijacking and were requesting a plea-bargain arrangement. State prosecutors did not oppose the request, leaving open the possibility of reduced sentences in exchange for full cooperation.

Resident Judge Mameita Jabateh-Sirleaf, who presides over Criminal Court ‘D’, will rule on whether to accept the plea deal and determine the sentencing framework. The ruling could also address deportation measures following imprisonment.

Criminal Court ‘D’ handles cases involving armed robbery, terrorism, hijacking, and other serious crimes, and the piracy trial represents a growing trend of transnational offenses being prosecuted within Liberia’s judicial system.
As of press time, the court has not announced the date for sentencing.

Headline

Spain Cancels $825m Israel Arms Deal Over Gaza

Published

21 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

The Spanish government has cancelled a contract worth nearly 700 million euros ($825 million) for Israeli-designed rocket launchers.

The move comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced last week that his government would “consolidate in law” a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel over its offensive in Gaza.

The contract, awarded to a consortium of Spanish companies, involved the purchase of 12 SILAM rocket launcher systems derived from the PULS platform made by Israeli firm Elbit Systems, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance.

First reported by local media and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the cancellation was formalised on Spain’s official public contracts platform on September 9.

The following day, Sanchez unveiled measures aimed at stopping what his leftist government called “the genocide in Gaza”.

It includes the approval of a decree imposing a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel due to its military offensive in Gaza, launched after the Hamas attacks in October 2023.

Spain applied the ban as Israel stepped up its military onslaught.

Spain has also formalized the cancellation of another contract for 168 anti-tank missile launchers, which were to be manufactured under license from an Israeli company.

That contract, valued at 287 million euros, had been first reported by the press in June.

According to Spanish daily La Vanguardia, the government is undertaking a broader review to phase out Israeli weapons and technology from its armed forces.

Sanchez has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza policy.

Relations between the two countries have been tense for months.

Israel has not had an ambassador in Spain since Madrid recognized the state of Palestine in 2024.

Last week, Spain recalled its ambassador to Israel after heated exchanges over Sánchez’s new measures.

The Barcelona-based Delas Centre, a security research institute, estimated in April that since the start of the Gaza war, Spain had awarded 46 contracts worth $1.044 billion to Israeli companies, based on public tender data.