Musician Azeez Fashola, widely known as Naira Marley, has publicly addressed the lingering controversy surrounding the death of his former signee, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad. Nearly two years after Mohbad’s passing on September 12, 2023, Naira Marley released a video on YouTube, offering his side of the story and firmly denying any involvement in the singer's demise. He meticulously responded to the multitude of allegations that arose in the wake of the tragedy.

Naira Marley extensively detailed his personal and professional relationship with Mohbad, revealing that he discovered Mohbad was battling substance abuse in June 2020. According to Naira, Mohbad admitted to using a drug called “Ice” to cope with stress. Naira recounted advising Mohbad on the dangers, to which Mohbad promised to stop. Addressing claims of an exploitative contract, Naira stated that Mohbad independently selected his manager and operated under an uncommon 50-50 revenue-sharing model. He emphasized that Marlian Music covered all expenses, while earnings were split equally.

The video also touched upon the contentious NDLEA raid on the Marlian residence in February 2022, during which Mohbad was arrested. Naira explained that he was abroad at the time and that Mohbad, upon his release, appeared distressed on Instagram Live, making accusations which Naira attributed to "panic and emotional instability." Naira further claimed that Mohbad and his family later apologized, and efforts were made to support the singer's mental health, including during a reported suicide attempt in March 2022.

Tensions reportedly escalated after a physical altercation between Mohbad and his manager. This incident, Naira suggested, was followed by a series of social media posts accusing the label of threatening Mohbad’s life, which Naira speculated might have been fabricated by someone else using the singer’s phone. He recalled the immediate public outcry: "Boom, on Twitter everybody just switched and started saying that Naira Marley, finally, you have killed him."

In October 2022, Mohbad’s legal team formally informed Marlian Music of his intention to exit the label. Naira claimed that in December 2022, Mohbad withdrew $72,000 from a shared streaming platform account, which Naira asserted was not entirely Mohbad’s entitlement. This withdrawal, according to Naira, prompted the temporary withholding of Mohbad's royalties. Naira stated that the last time he saw Mohbad was on October 4, 2022, during a dispute with his former manager, Seyi Awonuga, and maintained that he was in Amsterdam when news of Mohbad's death broke. Despite being abroad, Naira returned to Nigeria amidst public backlash and was subsequently detained for two months at Panti, Yaba. He expressed concern that those who were with Mohbad in his final hours did not face similar scrutiny.

In a significant development, a Magistrate’s Court in Yaba cleared Naira Marley, Sam Larry (Samson Balogun), Primeboy (Ibrahim Owodunni), and Mohbad’s former manager, Babatunde Opere, of any criminal liability in February 2024. Instead, the court held auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe responsible for professional negligence, citing her administration of medication without a doctor’s prescription. This was further corroborated by a coroner's inquest in Ikorodu.

Adding another layer to the narrative, Oriyomi Hamzat, founder of Agidigbo 88.7 FM, publicly apologized to Naira Marley and lifted the two-year ban on his songs. Hamzat had initially imposed the ban due to suspicions surrounding Mohbad's death. Playing Marley’s hit track ‘Tesumole’ live on air, Hamzat expressed remorse for his "provocative statements," clarifying, "I never said he committed murder or did anything illegal." He also offered prayers for Marley's protection and peace for Mohbad’s family.

Naira Marley concluded his address by reiterating that Marlian Music is prepared to release all pending royalties to Mohbad’s family or any party officially designated by the courts as the rightful beneficiary, emphasizing that the royalties were properly accounted for.