Popular Nigerian singer Azeez Fashola, known as Naira Marley, has spoken out following the Yaba Magistrate Court’s ruling that cleared him and others of any involvement in the death of fellow artist Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Marley revealed that despite their differences, he and Mohbad had reconciled before the tragic incident.
He also expressed frustration over the handling of the case, particularly the delay in Mohbad’s burial and the shifting narratives surrounding his death.
“I never thought silence could be so loud. I never thought someone I called my brother, someone I protected, would leave this world with my name in his shadow,” Marley wrote. “I have carried this weight, this pain, this shame that was never mine to bear.”
He insisted that while mistakes were made in their business relationship, it was never a personal conflict or war. He also accused those close to Mohbad of withholding the truth, allowing the public to wrongfully label him as a suspect.
“You let them call me a killer while you sat there, knowing the truth. Now you tell the story?” he questioned.
Marley further stated that he faced the justice system head-on, spent time in jail, and remained in the country despite public scrutiny, while others allegedly kept changing the narrative.
“But God sees all. The truth does not shake. The lies will fade, and time will reveal everything,” he added.
His reaction comes a day after the court ruled that neither he nor his associates, Sam Larry and Prime Boy, had a case to answer regarding Mohbad’s death.
However, the court ordered the prosecution of an auxiliary nurse who administered an injection to Mohbad, alongside his friend Ayobami Sadiq, for reckless and negligent acts.
Since Mohbad’s death, Naira Marley has faced intense public scrutiny, with many accusing him of being involved despite his repeated denials. The controversy stemmed from past tensions between the late singer and Marlian Music, the label Mohbad was signed to before their fallout.
