By Charles Mgbolu
This time last year, Nigerian music fans were preparing for a mega concert event from singer Davido with other music events stacked in a long line-up that would leave fun-lovers spoilt for choice.
But it’s different this year as music fans are mourning the shocking death of Afrobeat star Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, known by his stage name Mohbad.
On Thursday, an emotional candlelight procession was held for him in Lagos, and in attendance were some of the biggest stars from the Nigerian music scene.
Mohbad died under controversial circumstances on September 12, 2023, with fans calling for an investigation from authorities.
‘’Mohbad was so humble and kind and respected you even if you were nobody,’’ Xcape, an artist and friend of Mohbad, tells TRT Afrika.
‘’I was at the candlelight yesterday, and it was so moving to see the numbers that came out to honour him. It got me very emotional because I wished he was here to see just how much people loved him.’’
Another artist who gave his street name as Finnest called Mohbad’s music ‘larger than life.'
‘’Do you know that most people won’t really recognise him if they meet him physically?'' said Finnest.
''But his music was so big, and you would never know that it was such a humble-looking person who put out such powerful music,’’ he told TRT Afrika.
The candle procession also doubled as a protest as fans intensified calls for authorities to investigate the singer’s death.
Thousands of people marched in several Nigerian cities as police confirmed that his body had been exhumed for an autopsy.
Celebrities have continued to pay tribute on social media, with Nigerian music executive and label owner Don Jazzy writing on X ‘’Rest in peace, Mohbad’’ with a broken heart emoji.
‘’I will always remember him for his creative and resilient spirit. He always believed nobody could bring him down,’’ says Xcape.
The police in Lagos said they received complaints about the singer’s death, leading them to set up a criminal investigations team to “aggregate all allegations, suspicions, and insinuations from various sources on the death of the singer."
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said he had “instructed that all those who may have played any role whatsoever in any event leading to the death of Mohbad be made to face the law after a thorough investigation.”
