Mohbad: Arrested suspect, not a registered nurse—NANNM

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State Council, have said the suspect arrested for injecting the late Afrobeat singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, is not a registered nurse.

The Association and Lagos State Council made this known in a statement released on Saturday.

According to source, the late singer’s father, Aloba, raised the alarm about how Mohbad was injected by an auxiliary nurse before his demise, which continued to spark controversy around his death.

Aloba said, “According to what I heard from people, 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 what kind of level the woman is at.

“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 do not know the kind of wounds he had.”

The Nurses Association, in its statement, expressed its condolences to the Aloba family but chided media reports over the injection by nurses, noting that there is a need for professionalism in reporting and conducting the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death.

“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.

“They 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, they said they must stress the importance of professionalism in reporting and conducting this investigation. NANNM is closely monitoring the situation with keen interest. According to them, preliminary investigations indicate that the individual reportedly taken into custody by the police for providing care to Mohbad is not a registered nurse.

“They emphasize the critical need to verify the qualifications and professional status of individuals before labeling them as healthcare professionals,” the statement read in part. In Nigeria, to be recognized as a nurse, one must complete a rigorous five-year Bachelor of Nursing Science program at a university, followed by an additional year of internship. Alternatively, one can undergo training at an accredited school or college of nursing and become registered and licensed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. 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.

“Furthermore, they call on the investigating authorities and the media to exercise caution and accuracy in their reporting during this investigation. They will not tolerate any misrepresentation of nurses or the nursing profession. They demand that all media outlets that inaccurately reported the arrest of a nurse take immediate corrective action to rectify their stories”, it added.