The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it responded to allegations made against the agency, contrary to the claim by the Lagos State Police Command.
The Command had alleged that the NDLEA failed to respond to the allegations against it by the late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Idowu Owohunwa, while speaking on the investigations by the police on Mohbad’s death on Friday, October 6, 2023, said the anti-drug agency was being investigated over Mohbad’s demise.
Mohbad had, in a viral video, alleged that the NDLEA “gave me water inside a white bottle to drink. They said I was using drugs. I was the only one who drank it, they didn’t give others to drink.”
The singer added: “And they immediately told me to go home and told the others to wait.
“They even hit a gun on my head. I saved Zino in that video but Zino snitched on me.”
Responding to allegations, the NDLEA, in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesman, Femi Babafemi, noted that the anti-drug agency responded to police enquiries on September 28, 2023.
Babafemi stated: “Following media enquiries on the claim by the Lagos State Police Command at a press conference on Friday 6th October 2023 that it was yet to get a response from the NDLEA on social media allegations bordering on alleged arrest and detention of the late artiste, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, aka MohBad, the Agency will like to state that indeed its response was sent and received by the police since Thursday 28th September 2023.
“Indeed, to show the seriousness with which the Agency treated the issue, our formal response dated Thursday 28th September 2023 was sent by flight to Lagos, delivered and received by the police same Thursday 28th September.”
A copy of the acknowledged letter which was made available to newsmen on Saturday read: “We also heard the unsubstantiated allegation on social media that Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, aka MohBad, was arrested and detained by NDLEA on the 24th of February 2022 and given a substance to drink.
“In response to this allegation, we wish to state categorically that MohBad was never arrested neither was he ever detained in the custody of the NDLEA on the said date or any other date before or after.
“The foregoing being the case, the issue of giving him any substance to drink does not arise.”