Nigerian singer, Naira Marley, on Friday said before a magistrate court in Ikorodu that he neither threatened nor molested the late Mohbad as some reports on social media appear to suggest.
The controversial singer also refuted claims that there were disputes between him and the late Mohbad.
Naira Marley said all these while testifying before the magistrate court during the Coroner’s inquest to ascertain the circumstances that led to Mohbad’s death.
Testifying before the court virtually, Naira Marley told the Coroner, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi, that he signed the late Mohbad to his record company, Marlian Records, to make four albums. However, the records were not made until the late singer departed due to persistent arguments between the artist and his manager, Opere Babatunde.
Naira Marley insisted that the allegations that he molested Mohbad existed only in people’s imaginations.
When asked about the viral video made by the late Mohbad, in which he said that Naira Marley and the entire Marlian crew should be held responsible if anything happens to him, the singer downplayed the video. He said Mohbad and his parents subsequently apologised for the video, which they said was made while the artiste was under the influence of drugs.
Naira Marley also bluntly denied having a hand in Mohbad’s death, claiming he last saw the late singer a year before his passing, adding that he was not even in the country at the time of his death.
Meanwhile, Oluwasanmi Falade, the lawyer of the late Mohbad, who is a second witness, faulted Naira Marley for telling the court there was no dispute between him and the late singer.
The lawyer told the Coroner that the duo was indeed in a dispute over the payment of royalties.
To further establish his testimony, the lawyer told the court that he wrote several times to Marlian Records on the issue at his client’s behest but received no response.
He noted that the issue has since become a subject of litigation before the Federal High Court.
Furthermore, the lawyer told the court that the late singer was attacked at Lekki Beach by music promoter, Sam Larry and following his advice, he reported the incident at the Force Headquarters, which had unsuccessfully tried to arrest Sam Larry twice.
After hearing the testimonies, Magistrate Shotobi summoned Sam Larry to testify before the Coroners’ court on April 11, the next adjourned date.
