Seun Emmanuel
Nigerian singer, Naira Marley has testified before a Magistrate Court sitting in Ikorodu, in the Coroner’s inquest seeking to discover the root cause of Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad’s death.
Naira Marley joined the proceedings virtually on Friday to tell the court everything he knows about his colleague’s passing and, in the process, wash his hands off all allegations being made against him.
Naira Marley started by telling the Coroner, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi that he signed late Mohbad on his record label, Marlian Records to produce 4 albums but until the artiste left, the 4 albums were not produced owing to constant disagreements between the artiste and his manager, Opere Babatunde.
The singer further denied threatening or molesting the late Mohbad, pointing to a police report which exonerated him of those offences.
Marley said that the allegations that he molested Mohbad existed only in people’s imaginations.
When asked about the viral video, made by the late Mohbad where he stated that Naira Marley and the entire Marlian crew should be held responsible if anything happens to him, the witness testified that Mohbad and his parents subsequently apologised for that video which was made while the artiste was under the influence of drugs.
Marley insisted that there were no disputes or disagreements between him and the late Mohbad.
He also denied having a hand in Mohbad’s death, claiming that the last time he saw the artiste was a year before his passing and that he was not even in the country at the time Mohbad died.
A second witness, the lawyer to the late Mohbad, Oluwasanmi Falade, faulted Naira Marley for saying there was no dispute between him and the late Mohbad.
The lawyer confirmed to the coroner that there was indeed a dispute between Marlian Records and his client over the payment of royalties.
The lawyer said at Mohbad’s insistence, he wrote several times to Marlian Records over the issue but never got any response.
He, however, said the issue has since become a subject of litigation before the Federal High Court.
Falade also testified that the late Mohbad was attacked at Lekki Beach by music promoter, Sam Larry and following his advice, the late singer had reported the incident at the Force Headquarters which had unsuccessfully tried to arrest Sam Larry twice.
After listening to the testimonies, Magistrate Shotobi summoned Sam Larry to testify before the Coroners’ court at the next adjourned date.
The Coroner also directed parties in the inquest to confirm the address of late Mohbad’s driver so witness summons can also be sent to him to appear before the coroner to testify.
The coroner further directed the pathologist who conducted an independent autopsy on the late Mohbad to forward a copy of his findings to the coroners’ court and the same should also be forwarded to the Chief Coroner, before the next adjourned date.
The Coroner adjourned to April 11 to take the testimony of Sam Larry.
