Police Rearrest Mohbad’s Close Associate Spending Amid Renewed Probe Into Singer’s Death
Ayobami Sodiq, widely known as Spending and a close associate of the late singer Mohbad, has been rearrested by the Nigeria Police Force amid a renewed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the musician’s death.
A police source told PUNCH Metro on Monday that Spending was apprehended in Lagos last week and transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) at the police headquarters in Abuja, where he remains in custody.
“Spending was brought to the force headquarters following a petition calling for a reinvestigation of Mohbad’s death. He was interrogated and subsequently detained,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
The source also revealed that Mohbad’s wife, Omowunmi, had been invited for questioning. “She first came on Thursday, returned on Friday, and was later allowed to leave,” the source added.
Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed Spending’s detention, clarifying that Mohbad’s wife was not in custody. “We have Spending in our custody; Mohbad’s wife is not here with us,” he said.
Rights group United Advocates Group said Spending’s rearrest followed its petition to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urging a fresh probe into Mohbad’s death. In a statement signed by its counsel, Oluwatosin Adefajo, the group praised the IGP for approving the reinvestigation.
According to the statement, the IGP, through a memo signed by DCP Asuquo Effiong on August 15, 2024, directed the police legal section to review the matter. The group had earlier submitted a five-page petition on August 10, 2024, requesting a thorough review, supplementing an earlier petition filed by Mohbad’s father through his former lawyer, Barrister Taiwo Odumosu.
Adefajo noted that the group had extensive engagements with the Force PRO and Legal Unit, which culminated in an internal review and recommendation for reinvestigation. He expressed disappointment with the FCID Panti and Lagos Police Command for not providing updates or certified copies of the investigation report. To strengthen its case, the group also sourced a public statement issued by Lagos CP Owohunwa from the National Library.
“The group continued to submit petitions in March 2025 and provided additional evidence upon police request. In April and May, they collaborated with private investigators and legal experts to gather new evidence, and were elated when the IGP approved a fresh investigation in April 2025,” the statement added.
Mohbad, a former signee of Naira Marley, died on September 12, 2023, at 27 years old. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command set up a 13-man special investigation team on September 18, 2023, to probe the case. In July 2025, a coroner’s court in Ikorodu recommended prosecuting 37-year-old nurse Fisayo Ogedengbe, who allegedly administered a tetanus injection to Mohbad shortly before his death.
