- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian music artist, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley has narrated his side of the story over the death of his former signee, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
NPO Reported the shocking demise of Mohbad who died on the 12th of September 2023, at the age of 27.
His death had triggered public outrage and controversies as the cause of his demise remains uncertain.
However, Naira Marley would emerge at the centre of the controversies as he was accused of killing the music artist who had, prior to his death, fallen out with the Marlian Record label.
Mohbad’s exit from the record label had subjected him to series of assaults from Naira Marley’s allies allegedly spearheaded by Samson Balogun called Sam Larry.
Several videos of the assaults, including where the late singer called out his former boss over alleged plot to kill him, surfaced online after his death.
This further heightened the public’s allegation against Naira Marley as being responsible for Mohbad’s death until he was acquitted of any wrongdoing in February by a Magistrate’s Court in Yaba, Lagos, earlier this year.
The Tesumole crooner would finally break silence over his alleged involvement in Mohbad’s death.
Naira Marley, in a YouTube video, recounted his relationship with the late singer while also narrating his side of the story over his death.
The singer held that he had strong relationship with Mohbad as he shared their chats together after their first meeting at a concert in 2019.
He recounted how the late singer had at first tendered an account number suspected to be owned by his girlfriend’s mother to him for royalty payment.
Naira Marley disclosed advising Mohbad to get a personal account which he did.
Further posts showed the memorable moments between the duo before things went sour.
As against claim that the Marlian Music Record imposed handlers on the late singer, Naira Marley showed WhatsApp chats suggesting that Mohbad had in July 2020 personally chosen his manager, Tunde, who at first wanted to be collecting 25% commission before Naira Marley’s intervention and eventual reduction of the commission to 10%.
Naira Marley also dismissed claims that Mohbad avoided hospitals out of fear, saying he had evidence that the singer visited medical facilities in 2020.
On the death of the singer, Naira Marley disclosed his initial disbelief with the news while noting that he was not in Nigerian when Mohbad died.
He recounted the allegations that followed which placed him and his record label at the centre of the entire scandal.
“Someone amongst us sad Mohbad is dead. I looked him and said it’s a lie man. He wants to blow again. I said its a lie and I didn’t bother. Zino looked me straight away and said ha people should know what they will be saying o. I said people know I’m not in Nigeria obviously.
“I went on Instagram and I can see Instablog saying Mohbad died of ear infection. Twitter boomed with “Naira Marley you’ve killed him.” They started posting videos of NDLEA incident. They started posting videos from the fight he had with his manager on the 4th of October 2022.
“They started posting videos from there. I don’t understand. Is that what killed him? You said he died on the 12th of September 2023, you are posting videos.
“I could see already that there is someone playing the plugs to change the narratives. I was like what’s happening here and the public, they fell in for it. I wasn’t in the country. I can show you my passport stamped.” He said.
Naira Marley reaffirmed his innocence while insisting that those who were with the late singer 24–48 hours before his death should be the focus of investigations and arrest.
He also denied bullying Mohbad as he accused the police of wrongful detention, saying he was kept for two months at Panti, Yaba, despite voluntarily returning to Nigeria to clear his name.
“I’ve never sent anybody to bully him. Sam Larry also told me he had no hand in his death, and I believe him,” Marley said.
However, the singer disclosed how he discovered Mohbad’s alleged substance use in June 2020 and advised him to quit.
“I wasn’t angry, I called him and advised him and told him about the danger. He said he got into it because of stress but said he would stay out of it. I didn’t force him to do anything,” Naira Marley said.
He further recounted the controversial February 2022 raid of the Marlian house by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Mohbad had, according to him, suffered a panic attack after a scuffle with the officers, which made him go live on Instagram under “duress.”
“He accused me, Zino, even our wives, while in a vulnerable state of psychosis. He later apologised to me, his parents, and his girlfriend,” Naira Marley stated.
He also revealed that Mohbad once attempted suicide in March 2022 while he was abroad, and upon returning, he confronted him after discovering he had been searching online for the poisonous insecticide.
Naira Marley further accused Mohbad of unlawfully withdrawing $72,000 from a digital streaming partner in December 2022.
This, according to him, led Marlian Music to withhold parts of his royalty payments until the funds were returned.
However, Naira Marley disclosed the readiness of the Marlian Music to hand over Mohbad’s royalties to whomever the late singer’s family or a court of law designates.