Sophia Michaels
The mother of the late up-and-coming musician, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, who was widely recognized as Mohbad, has broken her silence for the first time following the singer’s passing on Tuesday.
The bereaved mother who spoke in Yoruba language in a video making the rounds on the internet on Sunday, said she was sure that her son’s death did not come from God and that someone killed him.
She said Mohbad had no rest from the moment singer and rapper, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, came into his life.
Naira Marley is the owner of Marlian Music, the record label that formerly signed the late Mohbad.
She also dismissed claims that Mohbad was not mentally ill.
Also according to her, she never knew Naira Marley until Mohbad met him. She said the late Mohbad did not have a headache and liver problem before his death, stressing that nothing was wrong with him when he went for his last show in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The bereaved mother who cried for justice for her son said, “I’m the mother of Mohbad, Promise Oladimeji Emmanuel Ayobami. I’m not dead, I am alive but who prayed to be hurt by the death of a child and be forced to speak out? All the things happening, I don’t know about them but I know that my son’s death did not come from God. Someone killed him.
“Whoever killed my child; their house will be hot; there will be war there; they will grieve. The glory of that family will drown. This is for whoever killed him and their children because they caused me pain.
“I’m alive but it is not ideal for me to be talking; what do I say about my child? But I know that from the time Naira (Marley) came into my son’s life, my son had no rest. His mind was not at rest.
“All the times they lied against him; I could not talk because I was not given permission to talk. I asked my son what happened. I still called that morning; he gave me money to go to the hospital. I called him from that hospital. He said Mummy, something is happening.
“When they came for him, he was not there. He was in the studio, singing. But when he knew something was happening, he came to me. I asked him: what is happening? I was his life and his heaven. He said he came because he heard something happened and that they took them.
“He said he was given water and didn’t know what happened afterwards. That was when the problem started. He is dead; he sees me but I can’t see him. We started going from place to place- my son and I. He could not sleep. Till Promise died, he was afraid. Sometimes, when he was supposed to attend shows, he would not go. They would say Naira and his crew were coming.
“They were beating him every day. People would call me, even people I didn’t know. Till he died, I also didn’t rest. I was afraid and frightened. Before he died, I spent 10 days in his house. I left on a Saturday and heard on Monday that he was dead. I still spoke to his wife that Monday; it was about one hour later that I received a call that he was dead.
“All the things they are saying are lies. They said he was mentally ill. Don’t you understand what they call mental illness? Promise was mad but he was married and had children. People are not afraid of God and the dead. My son was not mentally ill. Those who claim he was mentally ill, please ask them for the name of the hospital that confirmed it. Where is the result of the test?
“I’m not dead but I don’t know what to do. He left his wife and children behind. He is survived by others including his brother and me. From the time Naira Marley came into his life, I knew Promise was in trouble.
“He is dead but he didn’t enjoy his life. I won’t lie to you. Where Promise went to, I will also go there one day. All of us will still go there. Let us be careful. All those saying all kinds of things, fear God and fear the dead. If Promise could appear to us, he should do so, so that he would explain all that happened.
“My son was not mentally ill. I never knew Naira (Marley) until Promise met him. Please save me; they have hurt me through my son’s death. See what happened to my son who had so much glory. He didn’t have a headache and had no liver problem.
“There was nothing wrong with him when he went for his last show. He went to the show in Ikorodu. I don’t have any power; who will fight for me?”
Mohbad’s mother shares. #Justice4Mohbad pic.twitter.com/yYF0k9UuEm
— Dami’ Adenuga (@DAMIADENUGA) September 17, 2023
Background
This comes a few days after the death of singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
Following his death, there have been allegations of assaults on Mohbad by Naira Marley and his crew.
On October 6, 2022, Mohbad made a series of posts which read, “The events of the last two days have left indelible scars in my heart. I have always just wanted to create good music and to provide for my family and myself through my music. As an Artiste from the street, I thought the Marlian Family would be a good place for me.
“However, recent events and certain truths have come to light which threaten my peace, health and career. Because of these issues, I informed Naira Marley on the Marlian WhatsApp group chat of my intention to change my manager.
“This didn’t go down well with my current Manager Tunde (His Brother) There were instant angry outbursts and protests from him in the chat. I went to Naira Marley’s house with my Producer and my friend on the 4th of October, 2022, to have this conversation and reach a peaceful-resolution.
“We were in the studio, and some of the guys who work with Naira- Sid, Shuddy, Seyi and others- were present, as well as Naira and Tunde. I noticed Tunde was quite agitated as we started the discussion. In the middle of the conversation, Tunde became violent and-attacked me.
“The guys I was with were also attacked, humiliated and stripped naked by Sid, Shuddy and Seyi and some of the other boys. We were barely able to escape. 3 of us had to be checked into the hospital to get medical care for the injuries sustained during the assault.
“Naira Marley was fully present throughout this event, and in fact, coordinated some of the attacks as he instructed the boys to beat us up. Some of this was captured on video.
“It is therefore disrespectful for Naira Marley to insinuate that I started the attack because I was intoxicated as he is fully aware of the facts and circumstances surrounding this violent attack. It is not the first time Naira has lied to push his own narrative, but it will hopefully be the last.
SaharaReporters had reported how Mohbad wrote a petition to the Nigeria Police Force reporting multiple threats to his life from controversial socialite, Samson Balogun, aka Sam Larry, amongst others.
Mohbad, on June 27, 2023, filed the petition captioned “Petition of threat to life, malicious damage of properties valued the sum of five-million-naira, assault occasioning harm, oppression and conduct likely to cause breach of peace” against Sam Larry and Oba Elegushi of Eti-Osa, Lagos State.
However, the police failed to act on the petition.
Meanwhile, a former Marlian Music Record label dancer Lil Smart has also expressed concern and fear for his life.
In a chat with singer Davido’s crew member, Dre, which was shared on his Instagram story, Lil Smart alleged that two former colleagues were driven to a state of mental illness by Naira Marley’s violence.
“Broo I’m scared, they killed my Mohbad. The only one encouraging me and giving me hope as we left that devilish label. Do you know, two people ran mad before I left?” Lil Smart said.
