Afrobeats singer Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, has broken his silence on the controversies surrounding the tragic death of his former signee, Ilerioluwa “Mohbad” Aloba, stressing that he had no involvement in the young artist’s demise. In a recently released two-hour documentary, the Marlian Music boss recounted his side of the story, addressing accusations, legal battles, and his complicated relationship with Mohbad.
Marley maintained that he was out of the country when Mohbad died in September 2023, yet the public immediately turned against him. According to him, he was in Amsterdam at the time, but despite that, he was painted as the villain while those who were actually with Mohbad in the final hours were overlooked. He said this led to his voluntary return to Nigeria, where he ended up spending two months in police custody at Panti, Yaba, in an attempt to clear his name.
Following the death, both Marley and talent promoter Samson “Sam Larry” Balogun faced intense public scrutiny. However, in February 2024, a Magistrate Court in Yaba, Lagos, discharged them after police investigators found no evidence linking either of them directly to Mohbad’s passing. Attention later shifted to auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe, who the Ikorodu Coroner’s Court ruled in July 2024 should face criminal charges for negligence, after determining that her decision to administer an injection without proper authorization amounted to recklessness.
Marley also revealed that Mohbad had privately struggled with substance use and mental health. He recalled that the late singer admitted experimenting with crack cocaine as far back as 2020. Rather than rebuke him, Marley claimed he encouraged him to stop and offered support. He narrated an incident in March 2022 when Mohbad attempted to take his life by ingesting insecticide, and how he and Mohbad’s parents intervened to ensure he received treatment outside the Marlian residence. He added that contrary to speculations, chat messages showed Mohbad had visited hospitals multiple times to seek medical help.
On the business side, Marley explained that Marlian Music operated on a 50-50 revenue-sharing structure where label and artist split profits equally after expenses. Tensions deepened, however, after Mohbad’s lawyers issued a contract termination notice in October 2022. Marley said he responded with detailed payment records but alleged that in December of the same year, Mohbad withdrew $72,000 from a distribution account without authorization. This dispute, he noted, led to royalties being temporarily withheld, though he emphasized that all of Mohbad’s earnings remain untouched and can be claimed by his lawyer or family representative.
He further revisited the 2022 NDLEA raid during which Mohbad, Zinoleesky, and Subomi were arrested. According to Marley, Mohbad suffered a panic attack in custody, which prompted him to make damaging allegations on Instagram against Marlian Music. Though Mohbad later apologized, their relationship never fully recovered, culminating in their last physical altercation on October 4, 2022.
Marley ended by firmly rejecting claims that he bullied or sent people to intimidate Mohbad, insisting that he only witnessed a young artist struggling with personal challenges. He said the truth needed to be told for the sake of Mohbad’s legacy and stressed that his royalties remain intact and untouched.