Nigerian singer and head of Marlian Records, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, has again distanced himself from the death of Afrobeats star Ilerioluwa Aloba, also called Mohbad, stressing that he was outside the country when the tragic event occurred in September 2023.
In a video released on Tuesday that lasted nearly an hour, Marley said he was in Amsterdam at the time and only discovered Mohbad’s passing through online reports.
“They (the police) had no reason to hold me for that long in a working country. I wasn’t even in the country. I came to Nigeria to support the investigations because people were pointing fingers at me, so people would understand that I had nothing to do with it. When I came back to Nigeria, I was in Panti for two months, and they held my passport,” he explained, insisting his travel documents confirm his absence.
Mohbad’s body was exhumed for an autopsy, but the toxicology findings have been mired in controversy, with his family questioning their credibility and calling for an independent review.
Although Marley, show promoter Sam Larry, and others were detained by the Lagos Police Command, no clear evidence has been presented linking them to the singer’s death. Marley argued that investigators misplaced their priorities.
“If we were in a sane country, the police would have arrested everyone who was with him 24 to 48 hours before he died; the police had no reason to arrest me. I don’t understand. I wasn’t even in the country. People also dug up old videos of him and Sam Larry. Sam Larry wasn’t even in the country that time,” he said.
The artist further alleged that social media platforms and blogs were financially motivated to twist the narrative against him and Sam Larry. He lamented that the backlash stripped him and his associates of the chance to grieve.
“We never had time to mourn Mohbad properly,” Marley stated.
Calling for renewed transparency, he urged authorities to reopen the case. “If you ask me, I will tell the police to arrest everybody again. Put an officer we can trust in charge,” he suggested.
Responding to allegations of exploitation, Marley defended his business model, claiming his contract with Mohbad involved a 50-50 profit split, with Marlian Records footing significant expenses. He also alleged that Mohbad once withdrew $72,000 while still requesting more funds.
According to Marley, royalties were shared fairly, and he insisted he acted as a responsible label boss.
He went further to claim Mohbad battled personal struggles tied to substance abuse. The late singer, he said, was addicted to a hard drug known as “Ice,” which triggered paranoia, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts.
Marley recounted episodes where Mohbad allegedly tried to leap from a building and had to be restrained, noting that such incidents were often wrongly perceived as oppression from the record label.
