Nigerian singer Naira Marley has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding the death of his former signee, Mohbad, insisting he had no involvement and no reason to have been arrested.
In a new video message, Marley recounted his shock upon learning of Mohbad’s passing in September 2023, describing the moment as unbelievable.
“Someone among us said Mohbad is dead and I thought it was a lie, maybe another publicity stunt.
“Later I saw reports about an ear infection, and I didn’t believe that either,” he said.
Marley stressed that he was not in Nigeria at the time of the tragedy but was quickly blamed online.
“Next thing I knew, I was trending on Twitter.
“People posted old clips from the NDLEA issue and the 2022 fight with his manager.
“I wasn’t even in the country. I can show you my passport.
“I didn’t even get time to mourn him properly,” he explained.
The artist argued that law enforcement misdirected their investigations.
“If we were in a sane country, the police would have arrested everyone who was with him 24 to 48 hours before he died.
“They had no reason to arrest me. Sam Larry wasn’t even in the country at that time,” he said.
Marley added that he voluntarily returned to Nigeria to clear his name but was detained for two months.
“I came back to support the investigations, but they held me in Kpanti and seized my passport.
“In a working country, that shouldn’t have happened,” he stated.
Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Aloba, died on September 12, 2023, sparking nationwide protests and global calls for justice.
Authorities later attributed his death to complications from an injection administered by an auxiliary nurse, though public suspicion and debate over the circumstances persist.
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