Popular music artiste Azeez Fashola, widely known as Naira Marley, on Friday appeared before a Magistrate Court in Ikorodu via virtual means to testify in the ongoing coroner’s inquest into the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad.

During his testimony before Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi, Naira Marley disclosed that Mohbad had been signed to his label, Marlian Records, for a four-album contract. However, the albums were never produced due to persistent disagreements between Mohbad and his manager, Opere Babatunde.

He denied allegations of threatening or assaulting the late singer, citing a police report that allegedly cleared him of any wrongdoing. According to Marley, claims of him molesting Mohbad were mere speculation and not backed by evidence.

When questioned about a viral video in which Mohbad stated that Naira Marley and his team should be held responsible if anything happened to him, Marley testified that both Mohbad and his parents later apologized for the statement, attributing it to the singer being under the influence of drugs at the time.

Marley also insisted that there were no unresolved disputes between him and Mohbad before the singer’s passing. He stated that the last time he saw Mohbad was a year before his death and that he was not in Nigeria when the tragedy occurred.

However, Mohbad’s lawyer, Oluwasanmi Falade, challenged this assertion, stating that a dispute indeed existed between the late artiste and Marlian Records, particularly over unpaid royalties. Falade revealed that he had written multiple letters to the record label on Mohbad’s behalf, none of which received a response. He added that the matter had since been escalated to the Federal High Court.

The lawyer further testified that Mohbad had been attacked at Lekki Beach by music promoter Sam Larry, prompting him to report the incident to the police. He claimed that the Force Headquarters had attempted to arrest Sam Larry twice but was unsuccessful.

Following these testimonies, Magistrate Shotobi summoned Sam Larry to appear before the coroner on April 11. The court also directed that a witness summons be issued to Mohbad’s driver for testimony. Additionally, the pathologist who conducted the independent autopsy on Mohbad was instructed to submit a copy of the findings to the court and the Chief Coroner before the next hearing.

Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, the legal representative for Mohbad’s family, Wahab Shittu (SAN), stated that while there was no direct evidence implicating Naira Marley in the singer’s death, the inquest was crucial in uncovering the sequence of events leading to the tragedy. He emphasized the need to scrutinize all individuals who were with Mohbad in his final hours.

Shittu further disclosed that he had requested the coroner to summon doctors from the two hospitals where Mohbad was taken before his death. Their testimonies, he said, could provide vital insights into the singer’s condition before he passed away.

The inquest is set to continue on April 11, when Sam Larry is expected to testify.