Nigeria: Unqualified nurse is prime suspect in singer Mohbad's death- police

Police in Nigeria said on Friday that an unqualified nurse was the main suspect in the death of a hit singer in September, accusing her of administering drugs with "professional negligence".

The announcement comes just days after Afrobeats star Naira Marley was taken into police custody for questioning, along with others, about the circumstances surrounding the death of popular singer Mohbad, 27, in Lagos on September 12.

A total of five people were arrested, including the nurse.

This woman, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, had been invited by one of Mohbad's friends to come and treat him at his home, a Lagos police commissioner, Idowu Owohunwa, told the press. She had given him three injections, including antibiotics, causing the singer to vomit and convulse.

"She is the main suspect in Mohbad's death", he said.

According to the police, the nursing assistant was not qualified for such procedures and was "professionally negligent".

Lawyers for the nurse and the other suspects were not immediately available.

Among them was one of the singer's friends, Owodunni Oluwatosin, known as Prime Boy, who had quarreled with the singer a few days before his death, causing injuries that had forced him to seek treatment.

Lawyers for the nurse and the other suspects were not immediately available.

Among them is one of the singer's friends, Owodunni Oluwatosin, known as Prime Boy, who had quarreled with the singer a few days before his death, causing injuries that forced him to seek treatment.

"The way the injuries were treated led to his death," the commissioner said.

Afrobeat star Naira Marley and another singer, Samson Balogun, known as Sam Larry, also in custody, denied accusations of complicity in Mohbad's death, claiming they were abroad at the time.

The commissioner did, however, report "a preponderance of evidence" linking the two men to "charges of death threats, cyberstalking and various crimes committed against Mohbad during his lifetime".

The death of Mohbad, author of hit songs such as "Feel good", provoked great emotion in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where the singer was very popular, but also because numerous testimonies from fans and relatives claimed that he had been harassed and physically threatened for months by figures from the powerful music industry.

Mohbad's career took off in 2019, after he signed a contract with rapper Naira Marley's powerful "Marlian music" label. But their collaboration ended in 2022 after severe tensions.