Shockwaves in Nigeria: Naira Marley Breaks Silence, Vigorously Denies Role in Mohbad's Tragic Death!
Musician Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, has publicly shared his account regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of his former signee, Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad. Mohbad tragically passed away on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at the age of 27. Following an investigation, a Magistrate's Court in Yaba, Lagos, acquitted Naira Marley and music promoter Samson Balogun (Sam Larry), along with Ibrahim Owodunni (Primeboy) and Mohbad's former manager Babatunde Opere, of any blame in connection to Mohbad's death in February. However, a Coroner's Court in Ikorodu, set up by the state government to investigate the death, recommended the criminal prosecution of Feyisayo Ogedengbe, the auxiliary nurse who administered an injection to Mohbad shortly before his demise. Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi concluded that the nurse acted with gross negligence by providing treatment without a doctor's prescription, deeming her actions "unlawful and professionally negligent," despite ruling out foul play or homicide in the overall case.
Months after his acquittal, Naira Marley released a YouTube video explaining his perspective on the events. He recounted that Mohbad, who joined Marlian Music in 2019 alongside Zinoleesky, was allegedly using an illegal substance called 'Ice' in June 2020. Naira Marley claimed he advised Mohbad against it, and Mohbad attributed his use to stress, promising to stop. Naira Marley also presented evidence that Mohbad selected his own manager, Tunde, in July 2020, with a discussion about a 25 percent payment share which Naira Marley intervened to reduce to 10 percent. He further debunked rumors of Mohbad being afraid of hospitals, providing a WhatsApp chat from November 2020 showing Mohbad visiting a hospital. Regarding their financial arrangement, Naira Marley stated, "Our business is plain, even though we got accountants. We did 50-50; this is the first time I'm saying it. I paid for anything and everything and then we split 50-50."
A significant incident occurred on February 24, 2022, when officers from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided the Marlian house. Naira Marley, who was in Sweden at the time, stated that Mohbad was taken along by officers due to a physical altercation. Following his release, Mohbad went live on Instagram, purportedly under duress and experiencing a panic attack, during which he accused Naira Marley and others, notably stating, "If I die, everybody na Marlian Music, Naira Marley kill me." Naira Marley claimed that during their journey to the hospital, Mohbad also accused his girlfriend, Zino, and even their wives. He added that Mohbad, in a "vulnerable state of psychosis," subsequently called Zino a "snitch." Despite this, Mohbad remained with Marlian Music, with Naira Marley stating that Mohbad, his parents, and his girlfriend Wunmi later apologized for the singer's actions. Post-NDLEA incident, Mohbad reportedly reduced his frequency of stays at the Marlian house. Naira Marley asserted that he tried to assist Mohbad by covering costs for health checks and medications.
The situation escalated on March 27, 2022, when Mohbad attempted suicide. Naira Marley, then in Puerto Rico, stated that upon his return to Nigeria, he discussed Mohbad's online search for a deadly insecticide, Sniper, with him. Conversations with Mohbad's parents led to the conclusion that Mohbad should be taken away for his safety. Naira Marley further described an incident where an intoxicated Mohbad came to the Marlian house to confront his manager after a fallout. Following this, Mohbad allegedly took to Twitter (now X) to accuse Naira Marley of threatening his life for attempting to part ways with his manager, an act Naira Marley suspected was fabricated by someone else using Mohbad's phone.
On October 7, 2022, Mohbad's lawyer formally informed Marlian Music of the musician's desire to leave the label. Naira Marley responded by sending payment logs to Mohbad's lawyer to demonstrate financial transparency. He then revealed that in December 2022, Mohbad unilaterally withdrew $72,000 from a Digital Service Provider (DSP) partner. Naira Marley claimed, "All these monies he took were not his. We had to hold some of his royalty payment till he returned the money he took." After this withdrawal, communication ceased between Naira Marley, Mohbad, and his lawyers. Naira Marley stated that the last time he saw Mohbad was on October 4, 2022, the day of his altercation with his manager. He noted that he was in Amsterdam when Mohbad died and was subsequently accused of involvement in the death, expressing an expectation that those who were with Mohbad 24 to 48 hours prior to his death should have been arrested. He also reiterated his belief in Sam Larry's innocence, stating, "I've never sent anybody to bully him." Naira Marley concluded by criticizing the police for his two-month detention in Panti, Yaba, Lagos, after returning to Nigeria to clear his name, and affirmed that Marlian Music had contacted Mohbad's lawyer, ready to release the late musician's royalties to a family- or court-appointed recipient.
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