By Ayobami Owolabi
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – A driver who was with late Afrobeat singer Mohbad on the day he passed away has shared unsettling details about the events leading up to his tragic death. The driver testified at a coroner’s inquest on Friday, offering insight into Mohbad’s emotional state and the tense interactions that transpired, particularly with his wife, Wunmi.
The driver, who has over 20 years of experience in car hiring, recounted picking up Mohbad from his home on the day of the performance. He noted that Mohbad appeared happy at first, playing with his son before a noticeable shift in mood as the journey began.
“As I was driving, I noticed Mohbad and his wife started arguing in Yoruba,” the driver said, explaining that while he couldn’t understand everything, one phrase stood out: “You dey disgrace me and your pikin,” which was said by Wunmi. “She even threatened not to go, but we convinced her to come along,” he added.
Once at the event, Mohbad finished his performance and was escorted back to the car by soldiers, as some local youths gathered, demanding money. The driver recounted that Mohbad became upset and wanted to confront them, but he advised him to stay calm. The situation escalated into a confrontation between Mohbad and his close associate, Primeboy.
“Mohbad ordered Primeboy out of the car and started punching him. Primeboy tried to avoid retaliating, saying, ‘Mohbad, I can’t fight you,’ but Mohbad kept hitting him,” the driver explained. “In the process, Mohbad’s hand struck the car’s window, and he injured himself.” The injury left bloodstains on the vehicle’s footmat and on Wunmi’s clothes.
The tension didn’t subside as they continued their journey home. “Mohbad and Wunmi started arguing again. She insulted him and even reminded him about a N200,000 loan she helped him with in 2020, which he gave to his mother,” the driver said. “At one point, she grabbed him by the shirt collar, and his necklace broke.”
The driver, shocked by the altercation, expressed his disapproval of Wunmi’s actions. “If Wunmi was my wife, I would have beaten her blue-black for the nonsense she did in that car.”
Refuting rumours that Mohbad had tried to harm his son, the driver also stated, “That never happened. It’s not true.”
Later, when they arrived home, the driver attempted to calm the situation but decided to sleep in his car outside. At around 3 a.m., some of Mohbad’s associates asked him to drive them to a pharmacy, but he refused due to a lack of fuel.
When the driver returned in the morning, he knocked on the gate several times, receiving no response until Wunmi eventually appeared around 11 a.m. She thought he had already left and agreed to compensate him for the car damage.
The next day, the driver received a call directing him to the police station. It was then that a friend informed him of Mohbad’s death. “I was shocked. How come?” he said emotionally.
The driver’s testimony has added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation into Mohbad’s death, further raising public interest in the details surrounding the final hours of the singer’s life.
