NewStats: 3,259,755 , 8,170,834 topics. Date: Sunday, 25 May 2025 at 10:26 PM 51157

If issues are treated with the sense of urgency and importance they get in the court of public opinion compared to the conventional court of law, Nigeria might stand a chance of being a better place. The court of public opinion is unorganized and loud. It entails vigilantism and it follows trends. With due respect, opinions here hardly count on legal grounds. Whereas, the court of law which is supposed to uphold the rule of law in situations of distress, has become more vulnerable than a person battling extreme learning disability and autism.

I have followed the untimely demise of singer Mohbad since the drama ensued, and from the beginning, one needs no binoculars to see how it ends, except if the person is a foreigner. The principal actors are Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley, Samson Erinfolami Balogun popularly known as Sam Larry, and on the periphery, Zinoleesky (Oniyide Azeez).
Below are the reasons why Naira Marley and Sam Larry might go scot-free despite the massive allegations against them:

(1) Nigerian factor:

Nigeria is not the easiest place to pursue justice against an influential figure. This is because certain individuals are stronger than the institutions in the state. This is supposed to be vice versa. Influential people are more connected than you can imagine, and they just find their way around their travails. If Senator Ike Ekweremadu (serving a jail term in the UK for organ trafficking) had erred on Nigerian soil, do you think he would have been convicted? The answer is no. Doesn't it beggar belief that Naira Marley - a proud ambassador of marijuana and a rumoured drug peddler is the face of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA? Anything is possible as long as Nigeria is concerned.

(2) Politics:

An industry that is booming in Nigeria, especially in Lagos State is the industry of thuggery and hooliganism. This is due to the nature of our politics. Our politics is extremely combative in nature. Our democracy is a decoy to give a resemblance of legitimacy to handpicked public office holders. It is a system where the violent and the crooked win the game by force, without adhering to the rules of the game. So the politicians hire thugs during the general elections and political crises. This s for why popular thugs are doing better than doctors, engineers, lawyers, IT personnel, entrepreneurs, and other top professionals. With Sam Larry being reportedly linked with some ruling elites, I see them secretly bailing him out when the current thick smoke subsides.

(3) No Evidence:

Like the singer Burna Boy said; "without evidence, you go explain tire"
Naira Marley and Sam Larry (prime suspect) have bullied, tortured, and victimized Mohbad courtesy of some of the videos available on social media. But on the contrary, none of the videos prove they directly murdered him. People are just driven by emotions which is understandable. One of the major catalysts of the #JusticeForMohbad movement - GistLover Blog claims that the deceased friend named PrimeBoy hit him with a charm during a fight. According to the blogger, PrimeBoy was a turncoat who was a loyalist of Naira Marley and Sam Larry. PrimeBoy has since laid the accusations to rest with a timely video statement. Can you tender black magic in court as evidence? This seems like a story for the gods. The nurse who reportedly injected Mohbad and his friends who took him to the hospital are all closer to jail than the prime suspects.

(4) Cultural factor:

Rumours have it that Naira Marley is peddling drugs. Others say he is a cultist. These allegations constitute the average lifestyle of a typical Nigerian musician. Rapper Olamide in one of his songs called his colleagues 'Science Students', mixing hard/bad substances together and we danced to the song. Nobody paused to think about the reality of the lyrics of the song. Other music artistes also rap about gang violence and drugs. Drugs, alcoholism, promiscuity, internet fraud, gangsterism, and all manners of civil disobedience are the cultural attributes of the Nigerian music industry. The only difference right now is that the monster we created is asking for a human head for dinner.

(5) Our judiciary:

If this case gets to court as expected, I suspect it might drag longer than the arms deal trial of the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki over alleged $2 billion fraud. Is anybody still talking about it? Justice is always delayed in Nigeria, as long as you have the resources to get the best lawyers who exploit the lacunas in the Nigerian judicial system. Over time, people will move on to other issues. Sam Larry might enter into a plea bargain with investigators for bullying and harassment. He could eventually get a slap on the wrist. Naira Marley can also wiggle out of this in some way unscathed. Bribery and corruption can also play a key role in the outcome of this criminal case. If politicians can procure court injunctions, other wealthy people can also replicate that.

(6) The court of public opinion is misleading:

Due to the problems of social conformity, bandwagoning, and groupthink, people tend to abandon their sense of reasoning to follow the popular trend. This is done for the sake of acceptance. Most times, the popular road has proven to be the wrong direction. when a section of the country believed former President Muhammadu Buhari was dead, and replaced by one body-double named Jubril Al Sudani from Sudan? They also believed Buhari's school leaving certificate didn't exist. On the entertainment end, many also believed rapper Ruggedman slept with Toni Payne (the ex-wife of singer 9ice). I can go on and on. These were just mere trends that didn't have the legs to stand the test of time. When a concrete investigative structure is set, all these hearsays and rumours evaporate.

In conclusion, I am not a fan of Naira Marley and I will never be. I apologize if my reader feels I have sounded like one or probably my article is insensitive. I am just trying to play the devil's advocate here and wake people up to smell the coffee. By law, Naira Marley and Sam Larry are deemed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

I believe Naira Marley has seen the worst already. He is scalded for the rest of his life. I assume his musical career is already over. He was a setting sun before now anyway. This ordeal might also blacklist his record label and other business engagements he might also have in the entertainment industry. I think it might require genuine spiritual intervention for Naira Marley to reclaim his spot in the music industry again. He has always 'enjoyed' the Black Sheep identity, but this time around, he will have to 'endure' it. The decision of the court will not alter the public perception of him because Nigerians never had faith in the judiciary.

Osahon George Osayimwen is a UK-based Nigerian Journalist and Psychologist. He has an incurable addiction to writing.

Naira Marley is not a suspect

Naira Marley is getting richer and richer as you make MohBad music trend, Marlian records own all catalogue, copy right, royalties and streaming revenue to his old works

Itunes , boomplay, Amazon would pay Naira Marley for stream

Let the Police do their jobs


*1: MohBad signed a contractual agreement under Marlian records... 60% / 40% revenue

*2: Naira Marley, Marlian records pays for music production (500k to 2M) , Naira Marley pays for Studio session , Beats , sound engineers, Olosho , Hennessy, clubbing, clothing and feeding

3: Naira Marley rented a Duplex in Lekki, for his artist, pays service charge, bought them a cars and sponsored their drug lifestyle smoking Canadain loud that cost $$ per gram


Now what did MohBad do

1: MohBad put up an EP, refusing to pay Naira Marley his dues and 60% royalty

2: He was featuring on other people's album and getting paid directly without fulfilling his contractual obligations

3: He went ahead to pay for a 30 million naira Range Rover Velar posting it on social media, when he never remitted one kobo to Naira Marley


Ask any Yahoo boy or Street guy what happens to a Ripper?!

Ask any Lawyer what happens when you fail to fulfill your contract

Ask people who took LAPO loan and refuse to pay back

Last Last Nobody would invest their money in Nigeria again, because people want to act smart and shout "go to court"

1: if you build house, Tennant would ripp you

2: Start a business and people would betray you

3: Invest in a woman to marry, she will leave you and marry someone else


.

Hmmmmmm

…

I am sure Naira Marley didn't kill him. The only regret he will forever live with will be the fact that they never made up before he ed on. It is normal for best friends to have beef and when there is beef, anything goes. I watching a video where Bella Smurder and Mobad trolled Naira Marley after he dropped a single when Mobad just left the record label. This back and forth-is normal during beef. Now that Mobad is gone, he will only wish they never had issues. I almost found myself in this position with my best friend but was lucky to have settled with him before he died. I would have lived to regret it if he had ed on without settling it.

He might go scot free but he is done!

Naira Marley has been cancelled from Nigeria's entertainment industry. I see him stumbling and rising no more.

This I have seen.

Don't worry. He can go scot-free but not in the court of public opinion. People will never forget his role in Mohbad's death even if he is 'proven' not be directly involved.. His music will be shunned by the masses. He will be ostracized. He can continue with his drug business.

FalseProphet1:

Lol he go Scott free in UK for 124 times let's see if Nigeria Law can break the record wey UK no see break...


For people saying is a lie this a YouTube link to it...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7sfYiCLHQY?si=Z3J8gdT64l-hVnee

And been arrested 124 times doesn't mean been Jailed for 124 times...

Despite the sugar coating your bias and hatred for Naira Marley is very evident from your epistle. Talk of following trend your piece is no different. With Mohbad's body undergoing autopsy the results whether contested or not will give an insight into what killed him. If Marley gets vindicated I trust he will move this stage, if he turns out to be guilty it's only fair for him to dance Soapy.

Hmm

Wahalurr🥱

What is certain, is that his musical career is nosediving.

They may go scot-free for murder, but they are culpable for torture and bullying.
This attracts 25 years imprisonment if found guilty.

Cut all dis bullshit,

Dollar is 1k now
Business are shutting down
Politicians still embezzling our funds,
Higher institution fees high as never before,
Even a YOUNG DOCTOR was killed by terrorist,
Nothing happened

We have many issues,
I mean national issues to be addressed,

How many pple died in shagamu?

Sorry for this ooo,
Somebody wey take drug lord as him mentor must be ready to accept anything that comes to him,
Though he's not a cultist but it's synonymous to cult clash so,
Rip though,
We get serious fight to fight not this one,
Live goes on,

I dish this track to blind Nigerian
MOMENT OF SILENCE
by NAS

Nigerians are quite funny people. All along we have all known Naira Marley to be a somewhat shady character but we waited until he allegedly caused a person's death before making a rallying call for him to be cancelled.

Ok

Which be all these plenty talk. If the said ongoing investigations find him innocent, no story again.

Only victimization by Nigerians will remain and will fizzle out with time.

I hope everyone genuinely hurt find peace eventually.

He can't....
He may not be imprisoned but he'll loose face in the music industry and african terrain.



Wittyness

Nigerians are dramatist
It’s not even like all the plenty people shouting upandan really loved mohbad when he was alive.

He won't be totally free

There are video evidence of him bullying him which attracts jail sentence

Lastly he dares not set his foot on Nigeria's soil again

There is no evidence that naira Marley kill him

Hmmmmm

I see

This is one absurd matter that shows that a lot of people jump on the bandwagon of anything in Nigeria. Even the most obscure personality would become a superstar once the death can be made into sensational news.

Many people are truly jobless and the government need to act fast to prevent professional mourning from becoming a career for the idle.

E don do now.
Abi iru palapala wo ni gbogbo eleyii ke

I saw the thin werey at Amsterdam yesterday. Baba wear hoodie dey disguise. I called his name and he increased his pace. I increased mine too. Before I knew it he took to his heels. I chased after him till he boarded a getaway taxi. I would have extradited him by myself

Mindlog:
What is certain, is that his musical career is nosediving.

Nosediving abi nosedived