Afrobeats star Naira Marley has been taken into custody by Nigerian authorities to assist with investigations into the September 12 death of fellow musician MohBad, BBC reported.
The singer, whose real name is Ilerioluwa Aloba, was initially signed to 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 Marley for his alleged harsh treatment of the singer when they parted ways.
Mohbad’s death also triggered rallies in southern Nigeria as fans and sympathizers took to the streets to call for justice. People on social media have been using the hashtag #justiceformohbad to call on authorities to get to the bottom of the matter.
But Marley has publicly stated that he has no hand in the death of MohBad. He also took to X on Tuesday to announce he had returned to Nigeria to “assist the authorities with the ongoing investigation.”
“It’s important I do my part for Imole [MohBad’s other name],” the Afrobeats star added. “I’ll be meeting with the police with hopes for the truth to be uncovered and for justice to prevail.”
Nigerian police also similarly announced last week that they had detained music promoter Sam Larry to assist with investigations into the 27-year-old’s death.
MohBad, who is from the Yoruba ethnic group, passed away in a Lagos hospital on September 12, but he was hastily buried, 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.
His body was later exhumed by Nigerian authorities in the wake of the controversy surrounding his death, Face2Face Africa reported last month. The autopsy results are, however, yet to be disclosed.
The tension between MohBad and Marley last year over the music label issues was intense. Since his death, multiple videos have reportedly emerged showing MohBad talking about how the label harassed him and denied him royalties.
But Marley has since said those allegations are untrue, adding that he has no “hand in the death of MohBad, either directly or indirectly.”
