Afrobeats star Naira Marley detained over singer Mohbad's death

Afrobeats star Naira Marley has been taken into custody as part of a special investigation launched in September to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Nigerian singer Mohbad, Lagos State police announced on the social network X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday evening.

"Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley has been taken into police custody for questioning", wrote Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesman for the Lagos State Police in Nigeria, adding the keyword #JusticeforMohbad (JusticeForMohbad).

A few minutes earlier, Naira Marley had announced on the same social network (where he is followed by nearly 5 million people) that he had "returned to Lagos to assist the authorities with the ongoing investigation".

"It's important for me to play a role in the Imole (Mohbad's nickname) case. I will be meeting the police in the hope that the truth will be revealed and that justice will prevail", he added.

Mohbad, whose real name was Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, author of hit songs such as "Feel good", died in Lagos on 12 September at the age of 27, in circumstances that are still unclear, and a special investigation has been opened.

Mohbad's death caused a stir in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where the singer was very popular, but also because numerous accounts from fans and those close to him claimed that he had been harassed and physically threatened for months by figures in the powerful music industry.

Mohbad's career took off in 2019 after he signed a contract with the powerful Marlian music label owned by the famous rapper Naira Marley.

However, their collaboration came to an end in 2022 after tensions ran high. In recent days, many fans have accused the rapper and his teams of being involved in Mohbad's death, notably through an online petition that has attracted more than 250,000 signatures.

These accusations were dismissed in several press releases by Naira Marley, who said he was devastated by the death of "a brother" and a "friend" while he was abroad.