14th December, 2023
Singer, Afeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, has demanded N500 million damages from Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, for allegedly defaming him over the death of singer, Ilerioluwa widely called Mohbad.
Naira Marley said Ojo disseminated defamatory and false information about him through her Instagram. He threatened to initiate a legal action against her should she fail to pay the amount and make a public apology.
The embattled singer in a letter sent to the actress through his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, said she accused him in a September 2023 post, of harming the late Mohbad spiritually and physically. He also said Ojo accused him of causing mental harm to Mohbad.
The letter said, “We are Solicitors to Azeez Fashola (a.k.a. Naira Marley) an internationally renowned British and Nigerian Singer/Artist with over seven million followers hereinafter referred to as our client pursuant to whose instruction we write concerning the above headed subject matter.
“It is necessary to preface this letter by stating that in recognition of the iconic status of our client, the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) engaged him to use his skills and platforms to put out content that will discourage millions of his followers and Nigerian youths from substance abuse.
“It is our instruction that sometime in September 2023, you maliciously and falsely published of and concerning our client on your official instagram handle ‘iyaboojofespris’ the following words: and destroying their lives and leaving them without a kobo to get help…….you go still explain taya bcos evidence dey, that your interview you go still re do am again…….make we get justice for Mohbad first”.
“It is unarguably clear that the above quoted words are in their ordinary and natural meanings meant or were understood to mean by ordinary right thinking members of the public that have read the post that our Client is a drug addict and that he laced the food and drinks which our Client gave to the boys staying with him with drugs with the resultant effect of occasioning monumental destruction of their lives,”. the letter partly read.