Joseph Aloba, father of the late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has broken his silence to counter claims made by Naira Marley regarding the circumstances surrounding his son’s troubled career and untimely death.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH, Aloba described the bullying and difficulties Mohbad faced during his time under Marlian Music, painted a different picture from the narrative presented by Marley.
Earlier last week, Naira Marley, founder of Marlian Music, released a video in which he insisted he had no role in Mohbad’s struggles or demise. The controversial singer claimed he didn’t bully the late singer, said his involvement was limited to mentorship, particularly after discovering that Mohbad had allegedly started using illicit substances.
However, Joseph Aloba contradicted these claims, revealed firsthand accounts of incidents he witnessed.
“I went to see Naira Marley over some of the things Mohbad had said, and that was all. But later, a lot of other things happened that I personally witnessed. There were about three other people present at the time; two of them are still alive today.
“They were people working with Naira Marley, even though they were younger and still under him. One of them once came to me to report that Naira Marley was beating Mohbad,” Aloba recounted.
He added that when they visited Marley to apologize, the singer did not show respect, noted that the visit was misconstrued by the public as a visit for financial demand.
On the issue of Mohbad allegedly using a different bank account for transactions, Aloba confirmed that Naira Marley had raised concerns over the matter.
“Naira Marley complained to me that he (Mohbad) was collecting money with an account that is not his and that he (Naira Marley) had to force him to use his personal account. I also saw that he was sending me money from a strange account and I warned him that anything he wants to give me should come from his own account. That’s what I know about the account issue,” Aloba explained.
These fresh claims have reignited conversations about Mohbad’s treatment under Marlian Music, financial transparency, and the unresolved questions surrounding his untimely death, leaving fans and the Nigerian music industry divided on the true circumstances behind the late singer’s tragic end.
