Popular Nigerian musician Afeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, has taken legal action against actress Iyabo Ojo, alleging the dissemination of false and defamatory content against him on her Instagram account.
Olalekan Ojo, Naira Marley’s lawyer, outlined the accusations made in a September 2023 post, stating that the actress accused Naira Marley of engaging in spiritual and physical dealings with the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, in a letter sent to Ojo.
According to the lawyer, Ojo accused Naira Marley of causing mental harm to
Mohbad, whom he referred to as a brother. Naira Marley’s lawyer is suing Ojo for N500 million in damages and a public apology.
The lawyer requested that the apology be posted on Ojo’s official Instagram account and printed in a national newspaper. Failure to comply with the condition imposed on Naira Marley, according to her lawyer, would necessitate the filing of a lawsuit against her.
The letter in part reads, “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 instructions we write concerning the above-mentioned 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 sometimes in September 2023, you maliciously and falsely published about 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 that our client gave to the boys staying with him with drugs with the resultant effect of occasioning monumental destruction of their lives.
“Your publication of the above words on the internet, which is readily accessible to users of the system, constituted a very serious libel and has caused our client colossal damage to his reputation.
“It is incontestably clear that the above-quoted publication, which has been read by countless internet users globally, is defamatory of our client and has brought him to public ridicule or contempt, with the resultant damage to our client’s reputation.
“It is our further instruction that since the publication, our client has been inundated with calls from his followers, colleagues, friends, and fans all over the world who read the post, expressing their disgust and dismay at the defamatory and libelous publication you had maliciously and falsely posted on your official Instagram handle, “iyaboojofespris,” about and concerning our client.”
