Rising Nigerian musician Mohbad, who dropped his second EP, Blessed, this year, passed away on Sept. 12 at 27.
While his cause of death is unknown, many speculate possible harassment he dealt with at the hands of his former record label, Marlian Records, led by Nigerian singer Naira Marley, could be a factor.
In 2022, Mohbad, born Ilerioluwa Aloba, chose to leave the label and was brutally attacked. NPR reported abuse came following his departure.
Mohbad tweeted a video of blood oozing from a wound on his shoulder in October.
“Just because I want to change my manager which is their brother, see what they did to me at Marlian House,” his caption read.
Since his death, there has been national unrest and public tributes to the late artist. In honor of Mohbad, the hashtag #justiceformohbad has been trending on X, formerly known as Twitter.
As NPR noted, Mohbad’s death “has also brought the treatment of musicians by powerful Nigerian labels into sharper focus, as well as the close connections between some in the music industry and the government.” People also were concerned after finding out that he was buried the day after he died.
After an outcry from fans, radio hosts and other celebrities on social media, Lagos police announced an investigation into his death and said that his body had been exhumed and an autopsy would be completed. Nigeria’s intelligence service is also aiding in the investigation.
The Associated Press stated that “police in Lagos said it received complaints about the singer’s death, leading them to set up a criminal investigations team to ‘aggregate all allegations, suspicions and insinuations from various sources on the death of the singer.'”
Marley has denied the harassment claims and released a statement on Instagram in honor of Mohbad, claiming he was “shattered” by his death and encouraged fans to help determine what happened to Mohbad.
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NPR mentioned fans loved Mohbad for his tales of ambition and relatable lyrics. His biggest songs were “Peace” and “Feel Good.” The former track peaked at No. 1 on Apple Music’s Nigerian charts.
