One of the legal counsels to embattled Malian Records boss, Azeez Fashola, a.k.a Naira Marley, Barr. Gani Arobo, has opened up on his client's dealings with a former signee of his record label, Promise IleriOluwa Aloba, a.k.a Mohbad, who died on September 12, 2023.
The lawyer insisted that Naira Marley was innocent of all allegations of bullying Mohbad as there was no evidence anywhere to nail the street singer.
The lawyer disclosed this in an interview with media personality, Daddy Freeze, in a video posted in the wee hours of Sunday.
"As for Naira Marley, I believe you will not find a single incident where Naira Marley bullied him. Now, as for Sam Larry, what I understand, speaking to his lawyers and speaking to him directly, is that on that fateful day, I think it was sometime in June, 2023, he came to Elegushi Beach for something else and then as soon as he walked in, I think they told him that some musicians were shooting video somewhere around the beach. So, of course, being someone involved in promoting music and all that, he wanted to know who and who was involved in that activity.
"So, he went there and as soon as he got in there, so, to confirm that he did not know it was Mohbad - remember that if you look at that video - the first thing that came out of his mouth was 'iwo tie ni, ah o l'ole l'oni (so it's even you, you won't go to your house today). Immediately he said that, you will observe that Zlatan got up trying to stop him from approaching Mohbad. And that video is a nine-second video, Daddy Freeze, it will interest you to know that there is a longer version of that video. I will send these materials to you. The longer version of that video shows these guys eating Amala together shortly after that incident, you won't believe that. Zlatan was wearing the same shirt he was wearing at that video shoot, Sam Larry was wearing...(injected), I think Mohbad had changed his own cloth, but that same day, they went to eat Amala together.
"I don't want to rant out Zlatan, but I expect that Zlatan would come out and clarify on this issue because we know what he said to people, including Davido, as it relates to the incident. He was specific about whether Sam Larry did anything to Mohbad on that day. But Daddy Freeze, don't take my word for it!
"Let's go to Mohbad's petition before the Police in Alagbon. If you have seen that petition, he made very strong allegations. One of the allegations he made in that petition was that the equipment that was to be used for recording that very video shoot was destroyed by Sam Larry and his boys in that incident and that equipment cost N5million. He further alleged that there was an N8million that he paid for the purpose of the entire shooting activity and all that. So now, the question would be if the equipment for shooting a video was vandalised by Sam Larry and his boys according to you, you will be unable to carry out the activity that day at least? Now, it will interest you to know that, that video was shot on that day, they completed the shooting on that day sir and they have since rolled out that video and have been making commercial benefits from it, the same video that he said equipment to make the video were vandalised. Now, he said he paid N8milllion, we said okay no problem, bring the account into which you paid N8milllion or was it cash? Name the person you paid the money to. These were the issues that were raised in Alagbon when the Police called him to come and substantiate his petition. Did you know that Sam Larry went to Alagbon three times when the Police invited him three times and he wrote a statement.
"And on the third occasion after inviting Mohbad to come and substantiate his petition and he didn't come, Sam Larry's lawyer was forced to then do a counter-petition alleging that Mohbad made false accusation to the Police.
"This is a guy (Sam Larry) that met Mohbad when Mohbad started sending him his freestyles on Instagram DM, sending it to him regularly - 'this is my stuff, look at it' - and he was looking at it, 'ah this guy is a talented guy'. So, in 2019, he took a decision to take Mohbad in and signed him on to the record label. He made an offer to Mohbad and Mohbad immediately accepted. He was very excited. But the mistake that Naira Marley made was that he didn't conduct his own due diligence before taking in Mohbad. But that's a story for another day."
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The legal practitioner, however, bemoaned the emerging syndrome of social media mob on matters under investigation, saying it is very dangerous and capable of consuming all if nothing is done to tame the menace.
"There is a social media crisis that is upon us, it's an impeding crisis, it will implode and unless something is done about it, we will all be consumed by it. Our final word is that the search for justice is a just and a beautiful thing, it doesn't entertain bullying, scapegoating, criminalising, bearing false witnessing, no! If you are after justice, which is a beautiful thing to do, your method must be clean, your approach must be pure because he who comes to equity must also come with clean hands," he stated.
He added that Naira Marley will, after his vindication, engage Nigerians and fans alike on the matter even as he condoled with the family of late Mohbad, saying that the Malian Records owner instructed him to announce that he has a plan for the deceased's family.
