The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State Council, on Saturday said the person reportedly arrested for injecting the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad is not a registered nurse.
The association disclosed this in a statement by its state secretary, Toba Odumosu.
The association also urged the media to verify qualifications and professional status of individuals before labeling them as healthcare professionals.That 27-year-old Mohbad died on September 12, 2023.
On September 14, Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, said the singer passed away after receiving an injection administered by an auxiliary nurse.
Aloba had said, “According to what I heard from people, I do not believe in that. The only thing I can think of is maybe this auxiliary nurse that used to treat people, which is a very bad idea. I do not know the kind of level the woman is. They said they called her to give him an injection and that is a very bad idea and that injection can result in any length. He had wounds but I don’t really know the kind of wounds he had.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command on Friday said the late singer’s remains had been deposited at the mortuary after the completion of an autopsy on his body.
While expressing its condolences to the family of the late singer, the Lagos State Council of NANNM said there was a need for professionalism in reporting and conducting the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death.
It added, “The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State Council, expresses its deepest condolences to the family and associates of the late musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as we mourn his tragic passing.
“We fully support the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and urge the relevant authorities to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice for him.
“However, we must stress the importance of professionalism in reporting and conducting this investigation. NANNM is closely monitoring the situation with keen interest. Our preliminary investigations indicate that the individual reportedly taken into custody by the police for providing care to Mohbad is not a registered nurse. We emphasise the critical need to verify the qualifications and professional status of individuals before labeling them as healthcare professionals.”
The council said it was regrettable that Nigeria’s healthcare system faced significant regulatory challenges, leading to the presence of unqualified individuals performing medical roles they were not trained for.
It added, “We wish to clarify that the term ‘Auxiliary Nurse’ has no place within Nigeria’s healthcare system or its laws. An individual is either a qualified nurse or an unqualified individual performing tasks beyond their competence.”
Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afam Osigwe, has appealed to fans of the late artiste not to take laws into their hands in a bid to seek justice for the deceased. He also urged them to exercise patience and give the police the benefit of the doubt to unravel the cause of Mohbad’s death.
He added, “I will also urge the members of the public who may want to take laws into their hands to allow the police to carry out investigations and give them some level of confidence that maybe this time around the police will carry out a thorough investigation and maybe get to the root of the matter.”
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