AZEEZ Adeshina Fashola, better known professionally as Naira Marley is without an iota of doubt, the most controversial musician in Nigeria today. He was born in Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria. At the age of 11, he moved to Peckham, South London, England.
The infamous musician has been in the news several times for the wrong reasons. The most recent is the death of Ilerioluwa Aloba AKA Mohbad, a former Marlian Music signee, who died on Tuesday, September 12 at age 27 and was buried on Wednesday , barely 24 hours after.
The circumstances surrounding his death have continued to spark controversies on social media.
While, the Lagos state police command recently commenced an investigation into Mohbad’s death, thousands of people have called for the ban of Marlian Music, the music label owned by Naira Marley. In this article, Naijatimes looks at some of the many times Naira Marley has made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Arrest over internet fraud
Naira Marley first made the headlines in March 2019 when he shared a post on his Instagram page to defend internet fraudsters.
He received a lot of backlash from several celebrities including Simi and Ruggedman.
He went on to drop the record ‘Am I A Yahoo Boy’ which became a hit. In the early hours of Friday, May 10 of that year, Naira Marley and his friends Zlatan, Tiamiu Kayode, Adewunmi Moses and Abubakar Musa were arrested by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for internet fraud.
Five days later, Zlatan and three others were released but Marley was still kept in their custody due to overwhelming evidence against him. He was remanded in prison and later got bailed after two appearances in court.
Masturbation Song
After Naira Marley’s release from EFCC’s net, he again set the internet on fire with the release of his track Ijo Soapy.
Critics blasted him for singing about masturbation in the song which is danced while demonstrating self pleasuring with hands.
Alleged car theft
While many were still trying to get over the drama, the singer appeared not to be remorseful as he continued to give everyone including his fans reasons to worry.
Late December 2019, the singer was in the news again and this time around he was accused of car theft. It was reported that the singer and his brothers who were in a motorcade, stole a Toyota Camry and iPhone belonging to one Mr Adelekan Ademola.
The case was taken to court but he was absent and went on to brag about the number of expensive cars he owned while ridiculing the claims that he stole a car.
Attack on Ruggedman
Nigerian rapper Micheal Ugochukwu, better known as Ruggedman, was sometime ago attacked by ‘four misguided boys’ at a restaurant in London.
The attack on Ruggedman, according to music executive Soso Soberekon was from Naira Marley’s gang. This is because Ruggedman had chided the singer for showing support for cybercrime better known as Yahoo Yahoo.
Ruggedman’s comment did not go obviously go down well with Naira Marley who went on Instagram live few hours later to call out Ruggedman saying he is a “moron’ before allegedly sending his boys to attack him.
Sexual Fantasy
Naira Marley raised another controversy when discussed his sexual fantasy on social media.
The musician had said he wants to “have sex with mother and daughter together one day.” This comment generated lots of reactions from many Nigerians, celebrities included.
However, after he made this statement and was criticised, he went ahead to call those who criticised him, hypocrites. Defending his action, he says he has a “right to threesome”, as long as it’s “consensual and legal”. “I have the right to threesome, as long as it’s consensual and legal” – He defended his sexual his fantasy.
Clash with Badmus Dolapo
A former Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Badmus Dolapo also clashed with Naira Marley after she spoke out against his lifestyle and bad influence on the youths. Dolapo in 2019 condemned Naira Marley’s lifestyle and his post concerning women’s bodies after he tweeted that a lady having a big butt was better than having a Master’s degree.
She responded to Marley in a post. She said, “So, is having a big body part now considered superior to having educational or vocational qualifications? I still can’t get over this! We need to restore sanity to our system and stop tolerating public nuisances. It’s mediocrity for anyone to applaud an obviously delinquent and unproductive dead duck hiding under the guise of making music, obnoxious music for that matter.”
“My advice to the younger ones: let no one confuse you that having a good body part is great, but having educational or vocational qualifications is more important! In fact, it’s non-negotiable! Your body part cannot give you sustainable existence, only good educational or vocational qualifications will. Be guided! #saynotoharddrugs #harddrugdestroys.”
In a retaliatory post, Marley said, “This Instagram police wants to have sex with me, but she is really ugly.”
Marlians No-belt gang, Zero manners
The major attributes of Naira Marly diehard fanbase; The Marlians are alcohol and drug consumption, (weird) hairstyles, no belt for the boys and no underwears for the girls, sagging, zero manners and they are expected to disobey constituted authorities.
Naira Marley, “through his songs, preaches Internet fraud, as he believes that making money from dishonest means could be justified.”
Clash with Pastor Chris Omashola
In 2020, a clergyman, Chris Omashola had shared series of prophecies concerning Marley. He claimed the musician is a demon and his music is inspired by demons, to destroy the youths in Nigeria.
“In 2020, God told me, Naira Marley is A Demon, He is Satanic and should repent before it’s too late. His songs are demonically inspired to destroy the Destiny of The Youths of this generation, Nigerian youths should desist from calling themselves Marlians,” he tweeted.
His fans dismissed the clergyman’s warning and they sent him threat messages. While he himself reacted by tweeting: “Jesus never went to church.”
Arrested 124 times in Peckham, United Kingdom
Naira Marley had claimed to have been arrested for over 124 times in Peckham, in the United Kingdom. He made the revelation during an Instagram live video and also while being interviewed by Vice Magazine. “When I was growing up, it was just gangs, it was just stabbings n’ killings, you know, no one cares bou’ nothing we just tryna break the law like…Kids, adults, everyone they went to jail you know, like it’s just trouble everywhere, you have to have it on you. I wouldn’t say I was a Gangster, I am Gangster,” he added.
The claims got so many fans wondering what he was really into but his diehard followers, the Marlians hailed their icon for consistently causing troubles.
Mobad’s death
Although, Naira Marley has continuously denied the allegations levelled against him, maintaining he had nothing but goodwill for late Mohbad, fingers are still pointing at him.
Mohbad had left his team; Marlian Records on a controversial note in 2022, but still had issues with the label even after his departure. When the news of MohBad’s death broke, many social media users pointed accusing fingers at Naira Marley and his associates.
At the deceased’s burial, some persons even threatened to attack Naira Marley wherever they set their eyes on him. But Naira Marley has denied having a hand in the death of his former signee. In a statement issued, Naira Marley said he was saddened by the departure of MohBad.
He also said MohBad deserved a befitting burial, adding that he would continue to reach out to his family.
K-Solo’s allegations
Record producer, Solomon Oyeniyi, popularly known as K-Solo alleged that Naira Marley alongside Samlarry has a hand in the death of his former signee, Mohbad.
Featuring on Channels TV’s programme, Rubbin’ Minds, K-Solo insisted that Naira Marley was involved in the death of the 27-year-old singer.
He said, “Naira Marley is involved in Mohbad’s death He cannot tell me he is not involved. Somebody can’t be under your label and he is being bullied every day and you never came out to say anything. And you said you don’t know anything about it. You’re putting up a statement? Come into the country and defend yourself. I can say it to his face; he knows about this. Let him come out and wash himself clean and say, ‘I, Naira Marley, I’m not involved in this.’ Then let the police do their due diligence like the English they used.
Samlarry, on his part does not have anything to say. That one can be on the run forever because you can see his own evidence over your face. There are pictures. He cannot say that they are doctored.
Linked to DJ Splash’s mental illness
Mathew Aderoju, the disc jockey better known as DJ Splash who is believed to have worked for Marlian Music, is battling mental health illness. Speaking about his experience while working with Naira Marley, DJ Splash said after expressing his desire to be a musician, “they tried to make me mad”.
“I lived in Naira Marley’s house for years but I also wanted to do music,” he said. “After I explained my intentions to him, Naira Marley and his boys started planning to put something in my food and make me mad. “I overheard their conversation. They tried their best to make me go mad so I stopped eating their food.” On her part, DJ Splash mother’s said “we were even taken to synagogue concerning his health”.
Music videos banned
His music videos have been removed from the playlists of MTV Base and Soundcity.
Naira Marley’s songs will no longer be aired on radio stations like Splash FM,Fresh FM, island FM, Okin FM, Divine, Agidigbo. In addition to that, the Marlian Boss has also lost over 600,000 followers on Instagram. One of his team members, Zinoleesky’s US Tour has been cancelled.
NDLEA Ambassadorship At Risk
The African Council on Narcotics, ACON, has advised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to suspend Naira Marley as its ambassador pending the conclusion of investigation on the death of Mohbad. They also urged government agencies intending to confer brand ambassadors on proposed persons must carefully profile such a person(s) to be certain they are fit and proper persons capable of flying the brand flag untainted and very high rather than bringing bad influence on those being targeted by the brand.
“Naira Marley hardly represents any strong positive social energy as can be seen in his public conduct and the character traits of the so-called Marlians modelling after him.
“Most of them are deviants, to say the least; engulfed in youth bulge, cultism, petty criminality, internet fraud and the abuse of dangerous drugs. How can such fellow be a role model for our youth?” President of ACON, Rekpene Bassey said in parts.
