Photo File : Naira Marley and Mohbad

Popular singer Azeez Fashola, better known as Naira Marley, has publicly shared his account of events surrounding the death of his former signee, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly called Mohbad.

In a two-hour documentary released on Wednesday, Marley addressed the long-standing allegations linking him to Mohbad’s death, insisting he neither bullied nor harmed the late artiste. Mohbad, known for hits such as Ask About Me and KPK, died on September 12, 2023, at the age of 27.

Earlier this year, a Magistrate’s Court in Yaba, Lagos, cleared Marley, music promoter Samson Balogun (Sam Larry), Ibrahim Owodunni (Primeboy), and Mohbad’s former manager, Babatunde Opere, of any wrongdoing. A Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu later ruled that Mohbad’s death was not a homicide, blaming auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe for gross negligence in administering injections without a doctor’s prescription.

In the video, Marley recounted Mohbad’s time at Marlian Music, claiming he discovered in 2020 that the singer was using a hard drug known as “Ice.” According to him, he attempted to dissuade Mohbad through advice rather than punishment. He added that Mohbad personally chose his manager in July 2020 and that their financial arrangements were transparent, operating on a 50-50 revenue split.

Marley dismissed claims that Mohbad avoided hospitals, citing chats which, he said, showed the late artiste sought medical attention when necessary. Recalling the February 2022 NDLEA raid on the Marlian house, Marley alleged that Mohbad’s altercation with officers led to his arrest. Shortly after his release, Mohbad went live on Instagram, accusing Marlian Music of endangering his life—a claim Marley said was made under duress during a panic attack.

He further alleged that Mohbad attempted suicide in March 2022, prompting efforts to secure medical and psychological help for him. However, disagreements persisted, particularly after Mohbad accused Marley of threatening him when he attempted to part ways with his manager. Marley said Mohbad’s lawyers officially wrote to Marlian Music in October 2022 to terminate his contract, which was followed by financial disputes—including Mohbad’s alleged withdrawal of $72,000 from a streaming partner account.

According to Marley, the last time he saw Mohbad was during an altercation between the singer and his manager on October 4, 2022. He maintained that he was in Amsterdam on the day Mohbad died and described attempts to link him to the tragedy as “false.”

Marley also criticised the police for detaining him for two months in Lagos after he voluntarily returned to clear his name. He insisted that all royalties from Mohbad’s time at Marlian Music remain intact for his family to claim through their appointed representatives.

He added that Sam Larry had personally assured him he played no role in Mohbad’s death—a position Marley said he believed.