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Music artiste Naira Marley testified before a Magistrate Court in Ikorodu on Friday as part of the Coroner’s inquest seeking to determine the cause of death of the late Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad. Speaking virtually, Marley explained that he signed Mohbad to his Marlian Records label for the production of four albums, but these were never completed due to ongoing disagreements between Mohbad and his manager, Opere Babatunde.
Marley denied allegations of threatening or molesting Mohbad, referring to a police report that cleared him of any wrongdoing. He argued that claims of molestation existed only in people’s imaginations. In response to a viral video in which Mohbad stated that Naira Marley and the Marlian crew should be held responsible if anything happened to him, Marley testified that Mohbad and his parents later apologized for the video, explaining it was made while Mohbad was under the influence of drugs.
The music artiste also refuted claims of any disputes or conflicts between himself and Mohbad, asserting that the last time he saw the late artiste was a year before his death and that he was not in the country at the time of Mohbad’s passing.
However, Oluwasanmi Falade, the lawyer representing Mohbad’s family, contradicted Marley’s testimony, confirming that there was indeed a dispute over unpaid royalties between Marlian Records and Mohbad. Falade revealed that Mohbad had made repeated attempts to contact the label, but his efforts were ignored. He also brought up an incident where Mohbad was attacked by music promoter Sam Larry at Lekki Beach, which led to Mohbad reporting the attack to the police.
In light of these revelations, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi ordered Sam Larry to testify before the court at the next adjourned date. The court also directed parties to confirm the whereabouts of Mohbad’s driver so he could be summoned to testify. Additionally, the pathologist who conducted an independent autopsy on Mohbad was asked to provide a copy of the findings to the Coroner’s Court before the next session.
The case has been adjourned to April 11, when Sam Larry is expected to testify. Outside the court, Mohbad’s family lawyer, Wahab Shittu (SAN), stated that while there was no conclusive evidence yet linking Naira Marley directly or indirectly to Mohbad’s death, the inquest would continue to explore the events and circumstances surrounding the tragic incident. Shittu also expressed the need for further investigation into the doctors who attended to Mohbad at two hospitals on the day of his death.
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