Afrobeats stars Naira Marley and Sam Larry, suspected of being involved in the death of Nigerian singer Mohbad, have been released on bail after spending several weeks in detention, a police spokesperson said on Saturday. Lagos. “They were released yesterday around 5 p.m. after having fulfilled all the conditions for bail set by the court,” the spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, told AFP, without giving further details.
A bail of 20 million naira (more than 22,000 euros) was set by the court for their release, according to local media. “As part of the conditions of their release on bail, the accused must surrender their passports and report every week to the State Criminal Investigation Department” in Lagos, the court said.
Naira Marley alias Azeez Fashola and Balogun Samson, better known as Sam Larry, were summoned by the police a few days apart between September and October as part of an investigation into the death of singer Mohbad. They were then placed in detention. There were strong tensions between the two men and Mohbad, who all worked in the music industry.
Mohbad, 27, whose real name was Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, author of hit songs like Feel good, died on September 12 in a Lagos hospital. The still unclear circumstances of his death have sparked a wave of emotion in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. Several of his fans and relatives said the singer had been harassed and physically threatened for months by figures in the powerful music industry.
Mohbad’s career took off in 2019 after signing his contract with rapper Naira Marley’s powerful record label “Marlian music”. But their collaboration ended in 2022 following several disagreements. Naira Marley had announced on stranger. A total of five people were arrested in connection with this case.