Nigerian Afrobeats star Naira Marley and Lagos-based socialite Sam Larry have filed a $50,000 lawsuit against the West African nation’s police over their extended detention after they were taken into custody to assist with investigations into the death of musician MohBad.
Per Africanews, Lagos Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun was also named as a defendant in the fundamental rights lawsuit. Olatunbosun is said to have granted a request from the police to remand the plaintiffs at the Homicide Section of the Lagos State Police Command for 21 days.
The lawyer for Naira Marley and Sam Larry in the lawsuit asked the court to rule that their extended detention violated the plaintiffs’ fundamental human rights. “Their ordeal began between October 3 and 4, 2023, when they were apprehended by the police on alleged connections with the death of Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad,” a sworn affidavit attached to the lawsuit stated.
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“On October 4, 2023, the Commissioner of Police sought an order in the Magistrates’ Court at Yaba to remand them for 30 days. Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun granted the police application to remand them for 21 days in police custody. The 21-day remand order granted by Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun lapsed on October 26, 2023, and has not been renewed,” the affidavit added.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the plaintiffs were taken into custody to assist with investigations into the September 12 death of MohBad. The deceased singer, who is from the Yoruba ethnic group, was hastily buried after he passed away in a Lagos hospital, sparking his fans to raise issues over that, BBC reported. His father later explained that their culture stipulates that a deceased person should be buried quickly if that person’s parents are still alive.
MohBad was also initially signed to Naira Marley’s Marlian Records, but he parted ways with his boss following a highly publicized feud. In the wake of his death, a section of Nigerians called out Naira Marley for his alleged harsh treatment of the singer when they parted ways.
The tension between MohBad and Naira Marley last year over the music label issues was said to be intense. Since his death, multiple videos have reportedly emerged showing MohBad talking about how the label harassed him and denied him royalties. But Naira Marley has publicly stated that he has no hand in the death of MohBad.
Nigerian authorities also later said a nursing assistant allegedly injected MohBad with drugs after he complained of “unbearable pains” following a “violent fight” with a childhood friend before he later died. The nursing assistant has since been named as prime suspect in the 27-year-old’s death.
