Nigeria failed Mohbad

I didn’t know that the artiste Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, sang some of those famous songs on the airwaves. Although I do not consciously consume many of the songs and sounds that young artistes in Nigeria release with the speed of light these days, one must accept two things about this reality.

One, there is a crowd of incredibly talented songwriters, singers, producers, and what have you in the country? And two, it is impossible to escape the knowledge of some of these songs and, sometimes, the artistes, even if you aren’t into them. They are so ubiquitous! The song “KPK” (which I now know he did with another artiste, Rexie), is like what lawyers call a “notorious fact.” I still do not know what the song is about, but it’s a musical arrangement that leaves an impression.

Since his passing, his fans have streamed his other songs, like “Feel,” and you cannot but agree that he was hugely talented and in tune with the very spirit of music. His untimely death is a great loss to his immediate family, friends, fans, and a country whose future depends on youths like Mohbad and the works of their hands. It becomes even more painful when post-event revelations suggest that his death was avoidable.

Imole, as they called him, drew attention to the battles he was fighting unashamedly. There is a narrative that he was suicidal; I don’t know if this is credible, but even then, such an attempt now seems like a cry for help. Some people have suggested that he was depressed; there was no clinical assessment to arrive at that conclusion, but what he said to people, wrote in his songs, and how he carried about showed more of a frightened than depressed. Again, we cannot tell for sure.
But even if he was depressed, society abandoned him until it was too late. Family, friends, and associates looked on, with no record of anyone seeking help. Such intervention would probably have saved his life.

Nigeria is one country that misconstrues its responsibility for the welfare and well-being of its citizens. Last month, a prominent Lagos businesswoman attempted to plunge to death in the Lagos Lagoon. Watchful passers-by saved her, so she lives. But two other people have died in similar circumstances this year. God knows the number of suicides we don’t know about, but you can feel people’s frustrations in the air. It is terrifying.

So, how do we deal with the pressures that make more and more people snap in Nigeria these days?

For instance, even if the Lagos businesswoman who attempted suicide in August was putting up a show, as some speculated, how much counselling has she received in the aftermath? Do we realise it takes a particular state of mind to contemplate attempting to fake a suicide? What social support do we provide to citizens who experience emotional strains? How aware are Nigerians about safeguarding their mental health and that of their loved ones?

But the problem is not just about mental health. It is also about the entire health sector. Mohbad apparently died in a hospital bed, but an auxiliary nurse allegedly injected him before then. An auxiliary nurse is only meant to attend to the patient’s basic needs and make him comfortable, but they prescribe and even administer medication in Nigeria. We don’t know if this is true in Mohbad’s case, but it is the reality of our health sector. Most Nigerians resort to consulting half-baked pretenders and sometimes outright quacks about their health.

Police authorities in Plateau state are currently dealing with the story of a quack doctor alleged to have harvested the organs (kidneys) of twelve people in the Rikkos community of Jos North local government area.

The graduate of Economics moved into the community 18 years ago, pretending to be a doctor. He has operated on many patients, many of whom claimed to patronise him because he was cheaper than other hospitals. He even offered treatment, including surgery, on credit! How does this happen in a country with a government and a professional body like the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)?

He was exposed because one of his “patients” who continued having symptoms presented at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and got a scan, which revealed that one kidney was missing! He was exposed after 18 years!

Mohbad was also perpetually afraid of something, according to testimonies. He also wrote a petition to the police about three months ago, accusing specific people of harassing him and posing a threat to his life. His petition, now in public, also named witnesses to the event. The police didn’t follow up with the petition because, as they now claim, the writer refused to defend it after the police questioned his alleged tormentors.

There is no way to contradict the police, but is the way the force abandons all allegations of threats to life when undefended? The question is pertinent because the petitioner alleged that his traducers were armed with guns and cutlasses and mentioned at least one witness. Even if the musician’s petition failed on the strength of his failure to defend it, doesn’t the illegal possession of arms and weapons constitute a danger to the broader society.

That brings us to the alarming volume of small arms and light weapons in the country and the unchecked access to psychotropic drugs amongst Nigerian youths. These factors are contributing to the increase in multiple crimes of cultism, gangsterism, kidnapping for ransom, banditry, and murder reported around the country every day. The police should, therefore, commit themselves to a diligent investigation of reports suggesting that people possess arms illegally.
It is not just a problem for the police, though. Parents, schools, religious institutions, and, most importantly, the government must unite and evaluate Nigeria’s value system.

First, life is so devalued that very few people care about its preservation. Man’s instinct is to attempt to save another man’s life when he is in distress. Still, many Nigerians, including some personnel of agencies charged with the responsibility to keep people safe, will sometimes look the other way. Even some doctors insist on impossible documents before saving lives!

The next thing is to de-emphasise the importance of money. Money has become such a god to Nigerians many will do anything, including kill. This madness catches them so young that children who have not attained their tenth birthday proudly speak about their desperation for money. Parents, some of whom are complicit in this craze for wealth (which is why some join “associations of parents of yahoo-yahoo boys” and such obscenities), must reconsider their values.

At the end of it all, the primary responsibility falls on the government. This is not just about re-sensitising Nigerians about the appropriate values for national development; it is also about leading by transparent and honest examples. It is by making life easier for Nigerian families, giving all children quality education, providing employment opportunities for our teeming youth, improving access to primary healthcare, and enhancing the capacity of the people to do business profitably. While there is no justification for crimes, poverty, hunger and the lack of education are prerequisites to all the ills that Nigeria battles.

Concerning Mohbad, Nigerians look forward to credible and thorough investigations by the police. The reaction of his fans worldwide should show that Nigerians would take nothing less than a conscientious prosecution of the investigation process by the police. Did this young man lose his life to the evil machinations of some rivals or this resulted from some medical negligence from those who treated him?

As Nigerians wait, this sad event is a solid signal that those who see themselves as overlords and untouchables in the music industry must have a quick rethink. It is a call on label owners for accountability, fairness, and respect for the dignity of artistes. The situation is an invitation to Nigeria to look at the life it offers its youths and to see from that mirror that there is a lot of work to do to secure the country’s future.

May the soul of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba find rest.