The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to compel the Nigeria Police Force to reopen investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
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Justice James Omotosho dismissed the suit filed by the Registered Trustees of Break the Silence Foundation, holding that the organisation lacked the legal standing to institute the action and failed to place credible evidence before the court.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2026, named the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, as respondents.
The foundation had sought an order of mandamus compelling the police authorities to conduct a fresh investigation into Mohbad’s death, arguing that the initial investigation was incomplete and that some individuals connected with the late singer were not thoroughly questioned.
The court had earlier granted the organisation permission to commence the judicial-review proceedings. TheNigeriaLawyer reported that earlier stage of the case on June 25, 2026, when judgment was reserved.
Delivering judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the applicant’s allegations were speculative because it failed to produce the report of the earlier police investigation.
According to the judge, without the initial investigation report, the court could not determine whether the persons identified by the foundation had been investigated or overlooked by the police.
The court held that assertions unsupported by evidence could not provide a legal foundation for granting the reliefs sought.
“This suit is therefore without credible evidence and thus without merit,” the judge said, adding that lawyers should understand elementary principles of law and avoid burdening courts with baseless cases.
Justice Omotosho also criticised lawyers who grant interviews or publish comments on social media concerning cases that are still pending before courts.
He warned that public commentary on pending proceedings could create misleading impressions, influence public opinion about evidence before the court and undermine the administration of justice.
The judge said courts and legal chambers—not social-media platforms or press interviews—were the appropriate places for lawyers to present their arguments.
He further warned that the court could invoke its contempt powers against lawyers who disregard judicial directives by continuing to make public statements capable of prejudicing pending cases.
The court ultimately dismissed the foundation’s suit for lack of locus standi and want of merit.
Mohbad died in Lagos on September 12, 2023. His death generated nationwide protests and demands for an investigation, leading to the exhumation of his remains for an autopsy.
The latest judgment contrasts with the court’s preliminary ruling in April 2026, when it merely granted the foundation permission to apply for judicial review. That preliminary permission did not amount to an order directing the police to reopen the investigation.
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