Nigerian singer and rapper MohBad. Image: Facebook/iammohbad1
LAGOS, Nigeria—Nigerian police detained afrobeats star Naira Marley for questioning over the death of singer and rapper MohBad last month, Lagos authorities said Tuesday, Oct. 3.
“Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley has been taken into custody for interrogation and other investigation activities,” wrote police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin on X, formerly Twitter.
Marley soon after also posted on X that he would “assist the authorities with the ongoing investigation,” adding it was “important I do my part” for the recently deceased MohBad.
“I’ll be meeting with the police with hopes for the truth to be uncovered and for justice to prevail,” he said.
MohBad—whose real name was Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba and who wrote hits such as “Feel Good”—died in September aged 27, his family said on his Instagram account.
With police revealing few details of the popular singer’s death, social media has been flooded with indignation over his passing, but also with speculation about whether he had been harassed by powerful members of Nigeria’s hugely influential music industry.
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MohBad’s career took off in 2019, after being signed by Marley’s powerful record label. The two parted ways in 2022 following disagreements.
In recent days, some fans online accused the rapper’s team of being linked to MohBad’s death, with an online petition gathering more than 250,000 signatories.
But in a press release, Marley’s label dismissed the claims, saying he was devastated by the death of “a brother” and a “dear friend.”
Afrobeats, a musical genre born in the 2000s in Nigeria, has exploded in popularity in recent years with Nigerian stars like Davido, Burna Boy, WizKid and Rema winning accolades around the world. /ra