As the controversy surrounding the death of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad, and the paternity of his son continues to escalate, the Elegushi of the IkateElegushi Kingdom, Lagos State, Oba Saheed Elegushi, has refuted rumours accusing him of being the father of the late singer’s son, Liam Aloba.
The monarch, in a statement through his media consultant, Deyemi Saka, obtained by PUNCH Metro on Thursday, described the insinuations by some social media users that he could have fathered the son of the late singer as a desperate attempt to tarnish his reputation by dragging him into the paternity dispute of Liam.
Mohbad passed away at the age of 27 in September 2023, with his demise sparking widespread protests in some parts of the country, and many of his fans demanding justice for the former Marlian Records signee.
A slew of accusations and counter-accusations have emerged following his death, with many alleging that he died as a result of bullying he had endured from his former boss, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, and his associates
Furthermore, the paternity of Mohbad’s son has been subject to scrutiny, particularly after Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, insisted on a paternity test to ascertain if the late singer was indeed the father of his grandson.
Among the reactions to the paternity dispute was the allegation that Oba Elegushi could have fathered Mohbad’s son.
A TikToker, Oloriebimusicproduction2, made several posts on his TikTok page, which were seen by our correspondent, alleging that the monarch might be implicated in the death of the late Mohbad.
It was also alleged that the monarch was leveraging his influence to obstruct justice for the late singer.
Responding to these various allegations, the monarch clarified that they were baseless accusations aimed at besmirching his character.
Oba Elegushi also disclosed that a petition has been filed against individuals propagating these allegations.
The statement read, “We would like to respond to a new desperate attempt at dragging His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi, into the needless paternity dispute over the son of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
“The widely syndicated falsehood was promoted by some persons with the underlisted profile on the social media app TikTok, namely: Oloriebimusicproduction2, PEKINS RULES, and WESTO4LIVE. Also, the same falsehood is being promoted by Auto Success Ola, Olubukola Jesse, Teni Ologo, and Tolani Ilesanmi.
“This is to inform the public that the allegation is false and a figment of the wicked imaginations of these persons.
“HRM Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, through his lawyers, has filed a petition against these persons with the Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies in a bid to enforce his fundamental human rights and protect him from cyber bullies, while he is hopeful the Nigeria Police will collaborate with relevant international security organisations in this quest for redress.”
Oba Elegushi, while extending condolences to the family of the late singer, implored members of the public not to entangle the traditional institution in the paternity dispute.
“It must be stated emphatically that Oba Elegushi, just like many Nigerians, is saddened by the sudden demise of Mohbad, and demands a thorough investigation and a quick dispensation of justice.
“While we pray to Almighty God to grant the Alobas the immense strength to bear this painful loss, we urge people to refrain from dragging the integrity of His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi and the revered traditional institution he represents into public disrepute,” the statement noted.