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US lab debunks conducting poison test on Mohbad

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2 months ago

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The management of the National Medical Services Laboratories in Pennsylvania, United States of America, has refuted the claim by the Lagos State Government that a toxicology test to ascertain the cause of the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad, was conducted at its facility.

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

Before embarking on the fact-finding mission, some concerned members of the public reportedly protested against the claim made by a pathologist, who appeared before the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, May 15, and said an autopsy could not ascertain Mohbad’s cause of death because his corpse had decomposed.

We had reported that the counsel for the state government, O. Akinde, told the Coroner’s Court sitting in the Ikorodu area of the state sometime in November 2023 that a toxicology test, which is an aspect of an autopsy seeking to determine the cause of Mohbad’s death, was conducted in the United States.

Buttressing this claim, 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, said the toxicology test was being conducted at the NMS Labs in Pennsylvania, USA.

“The matter is being handled by the state DNA and Forensic Centre, but they are doing skeletal services, and they have affiliate centres which are three.

“So, if there is an emergency like this one that we have, they will not say they cannot handle it. So, there are three of them in the US and the one handling this particular one is the NMS in Pennsylvania, USA,” Omotoso said during the live programme.

The result of the test reportedly arrived in Nigeria sometime in April 2024 and was passed on to a pathologist for interpretation.

Appearing before the coroner’s court, the pathologist disclosed that the autopsy could not ascertain the cause of Mohbad’s death because the corpse had decomposed.

However, during the fact-finding mission, our correspondent independently verified the location of the NMS Labs on 3701 Welsh Road Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and that of two NMS crime labs on Stratford Avenue, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and another at Grand Prairie in Texas.

The single e-mail address that these labs had been using for correspondence was also discovered on the NMS Labs’ website and our correspondent sent an inquiry to confirm if a toxicology test to ascertain Mohbad’s death was conducted at their facility.

The inquiry read in part, “I am a journalist from Punch Newspaper in Nigeria, currently working on a story involving the death of Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.

“Following the Lagos State Government’s active interest in the case, the state Commissioner for Information revealed that the government conducted a toxicology test on the late artiste at your facility. Here is the link where he said so at 32:21 (https://youtu.be/SW59DTJZV3I?si=ty0OaXJSTvfuC4Oz).

“However, conflicting reports have emerged, casting doubt on whether or not the toxicology test indeed took place at your facility. As a journalist committed to factual reporting, I am independently reaching out to your facility to verify the authenticity of this claim. Clarification on this matter will contribute significantly to resolving the discrepancies surrounding the artist’s demise.”

Responding to newsmen on May 17, the Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, NMS Labs, Esther Dede, refuted the claim by the state government that Mohbad’s toxicology test was conducted at any of their laboratories.

“Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient,” Dede said.

Dede, however, noted, “To maintain our compliance with HIPAA privacy regulations, we would need authorisation from the submitting agency.”

When contacted on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Omotoso, said that was the name of the lab given to him by the state DNA and Forensic Centre.

“This was what I was told by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre officials who took the sample there. We are dealing with the officials of the centre, they have three other labs that they have affiliations with. If they have an emergency, they can go to any of the three labs. I asked which particular one did they go to and they answered it was that one. That means I will have to go and check again because that was what I was told.”

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, amongst others.

The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.

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Nigerians need to unite if we want actual change, says DJ Switch on planned protest

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13 hours ago

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July 26, 2024 12:56 pm

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Catherine Udeh, the disc jockey and activist better known as DJ Switch, has called on Nigerians to unite ahead of a planned nationwide protest.

Recently, there have been reports that some Nigerians, under various bodies, are planning a nationwide protest between August 1 and 10. The protest, according to the groups, is aimed to show their opposition against the economic hardship particularly the rising cost of living in the country.

In a lengthy post via her X page, Switch urged Nigerians to unite and fight tribal and religious discord “planted by the political class” to dampen the planned protest.

The activist alleged that the political class would continue mismanaging the country’s economy until the citizens decided to save Nigeria.

Udeh claimed some politicians supporting the protest were only doing it for record purposes and to deceive the youths.

Switch, who gained fame for covering the 2020 shooting incident at the Lekki tollgate during the EndSARS protest, also shared other reasons “why Nigerians should join the planned protest”.

“I was not going to speak on this issue because I’ve experienced first hand the cowardice of many Nigerians but my love for Nigeria is literally haunting me! So here it goes. They say that there is a time for everything,” she wrote.

“A time to sleep, play, work, fight or die! Africa as a whole needs to know what f**king time it is! If you recognize what time it is, then you know what to do! Mind you, the cabals running Nigeria, Nigeria especially are smarter than you all might think.

“While they may be on edge about this planned protest, especially after seeing the events in Kenya, I promise you that they can bet their left balls that nothing will happen. That being said, many have been advised to “show” support for our fundamental human right to freedom of expression for two reasons.

“So that there is a record of them supporting it and to guide you all like babies to do your protest and go and sleep. So, the question really is this, do you know what time it is? Because if you don’t, just kukuma go and sleep and If you do, then prepare to take the bull by the horn.

“You need to understand that whether you japa or stay, they don’t care! Nigeria is a mining ground for these devils. They take and take with no single thought or care as to where the nation ends up wasteland!

“The tribal division they’ve sown amongst us was a desperate move on their broken chessboard which should have fallen flat on its face but there are those of us who are so selfish, shortsighted and wicked. They will sell their children for the brown envelope.

“These unfortunate Nigerians that traded their brains and patriotism for alomo bitters are a huge obstacle to those of us that want a working nation. I don’t care what tribe you are from or religion you belong to, we need to unite if we want actual change.

“I’m expecting the bots to call me all sorts of names as usual, like I give a shit! Mosquito disturb me pass those ones. But if you keep missing your opportunity to send these thieves back to where they belong then soon you all will be like the girl/boy who cried wolf!”

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Kunle Afolayan to film ‘Anikulapo’ season two in Ghana

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13 hours ago

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July 26, 2024 12:54 pm

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Kunle Afolayan, the filmmaker, has revealed that some scenes of the second season of ‘Anikulapo’ series will be filmed in Ghana.

‘Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre’, a six-part series produced by Afolayan, premiered on Netflix on March 1.

The mini-series, which was filmed at the Kunle Afolayan Production (KAP) film village in Oyo state, was a sequel to ‘Anikulapo’, the 2022 award-winning film.

In a recent post via his Instagram page, Afolayan disclosed his intention to shoot parts of the forthcoming season in Ghana.

The filmmaker also shared photos from the film location recce in Ghana.

Afolayan said the development is in partnership with Ghana’s National Film Authority.

“Anikulapo series new season. Location recce in Ghana in collaboration with @nationalfilmauthority,” he wrote.

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I’d rather die than give movie role for sex, says Kevin Ikeduba

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14 hours ago

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July 26, 2024 11:15 am

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Kevin Ikeduba, the Nollywood actor and producer, says he would rather die than cast unqualified actors in exchange for sex.

During a chat on Hip TV’s Trending, the movie star emphasised his commitment to professionalism and high standards in the industry.

He also expressed his frustration with the high rate of unprofessionalism on set, stating that he would rather “die” than compromise his values for sexual favours.

“The movie industry is very big. What works for Mr A, May not work for Mr B,” he said.

“Kevin that people know, instead of giving a girl role for sex would rather die because I am very passionate about what I do. So most times when I meet mediocres on set, it hurts me. I will never ever do that.”

Ikeduba is a known for his versatility and seamless transition from the English-speaking Nollywood to the Yoruba film industry.

His career took off in 2000, and he credits Femi Ogedengbe, his colleague, for introducing him to Saheed Balogun, who offered him a pivotal role in the Yoruba film ‘Omo Alhaja’.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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