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Mohbad: Death as the ultimate promotion By Toni kan …and how we killed him
Mohbad: Death as the ultimate promotion By Toni kan
…and how we killed him
The question everyone is asking is – Who killed Mohbad?
But the question no one seems to be asking is – what do we do when we find out who killed Mohbad?
No Nigerian musician has been mourned with such an overwhelming outpouring of emotion verging on hysteria in the manner that MohBad, (Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba) aka Imole has been mourned since his passing in controversial circumstances on September 12, 2023.
There have been protests and candlelight processions in states across Nigeria and in cities across the globe.
His sophomore album, Blessed has been topping charts across platforms. In death, MohBad has found the global acclaim that eluded him in life.
He may be dead but God has answered the prayer he uttered in Sabi – “don’t let my foes rejoice over me.”
But such is the nature and irony of dying young and joining the 27 Club, no less. Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Jimmy Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Jones. The list grows and Mohbad has joined them in Rock n Roll heaven.
Before we proceed, it might be pertinent to moderate that third paragraph by adding a qualifier…not since Dagrin and Fela Anikulapo Kuti has a Nigerian musical artist been mourned with so much emotion.
Dagrin’s death hit hard because it was not just the death of a musical artist but the death of potential. He was primed to take over from the likes of Lord of Ajasa and would probably if he had lived longer, contested for Olamide’s shine and street cred and even Naira Marley’s with the vice grip he had on the jugular of the streets in his short run. But death had other plans.
Fela was different. He had lived long, accomplished much and his death was a matter of time what with him being afflicted with AIDS which back then was akin to an instant death sentence.
But Mohbad is a different kettle of fish (and a smelly one at that). He was young, on the up and has died in circumstances mired in controversies.
Two EPs and four to five monster hits and the Light of his Blessed life has been snuffed out.
Since his passing, blame has been passed around and names have been mentioned. Former label honcho, Naira Marley has been mentioned as has music promoter, Sam Larry. There is also the insinuation that he was forced to drink a substance by officials of the anti-drug agency.
Twitter has been abuzz in the past two weeks becoming a fertile patch with conspiracy theories sprouting like blades of corn piercing the earth after rain.
MOHBAD AND CANCEL CULTURE
But while the autopsy result is being awaited, losses are being calculated. Former label mate, Zinolesky has seen his American tour cancelled before it even took off. DJs and record stations have stopped playing Naira Marley’s songs.
Folks are also demanding that Sam Larry be found and made to answer questions.
All this is befuddling because the first reports about Mohbad’s death reveal that he passed on after being given an injection.
A nurse has now been arrested and an autopsy carried out to determine the cause of his death.
But questions remain and no matter what we learn at the end, Naira Marley’s reputation (or whatever was left of it) is gone. That is the nature of cancel culture and the lynch mob mentality of social media. Shoot first, then ask questions later!
DID MOHBAD’S FATHER ABANDON HIM?
MohBad’s paterfamilias has also been in the eye of the storm thanks to an ill-advised television interview during which he is reported to have said: “look at the house I am living in”. The statement has placed a bulls-eye sign on his back. Folks are incensed; how dare he talk about his living condition when the son he abandoned has just died?
But people will die and life must go on.
That said we need to fact-check the emotional outbursts. Did Mohbad’s father really abandon him and his siblings after he married another woman?
Mohbad’s words seem to answer this question as he sings in Sorry, the first song on his debut album Light.
Daddy no get salary/Ten years I no see mummy/Step mother no care/ Landlord dey worry/My brothers are hungry/Daddy gather money/Make I go poly/I go poly but I no go class/Daddy I’m sorry/I don dey yahoo/I don dey take banku/Omo pastor ti wonu aye/Mummy just dey pray/Daddy just dey pray for me/make e better for me
When MohBad sings – Omo pastor ti wonu aye (the pastor’s son has become worldly) – the portrait he paints is not of a delinquent father. Indigent yes, but not delinquent!
And to play devil’s advocate; what are we to expect from a father who has invested all? One who has begged and borrowed to send his son to school only for that son to leave school to become a fraudster or “join bad gang” as we say on the streets.
We could say yes, Mohbad finally made it but at what cost? Success is a lottery and when it comes to the lottery of life there are no guarantees but getting an education is a surer bet.
So, his father did not abandon him but he clearly misspoke in that interview but is that enough to also cancel him?
THE SAM LARRY AND NAIRA MARLEY ANGLE
Who is Sam Larry and why is his name turning up like the tortoise in a folktale? Aside from the fact that he is supposed to be a music promoter with supposed connections to people in high places (people who have now disavowed him) Mohbad appears to name-check him on the song, Holy:
Owo mi oope
Oma di gobe
Ma pe Sammy Larry wa
Ah
Emi ti mi o holy
Mohbad clearly had a relationship with Sam Larry, one that went south and social media is replete with videos and pictures of a cane-wielding bearded goon believed to be Sam Larry disrupting Mohbad’s video shoot. That was in June 2023.
A while before that, videos had circulated of a bruised and bloodied Mohbad who alleged that he had gone to a meeting to discuss his change of management and had ended up being beaten by Naira Marley’s boys in the latter’s residence.
These instances as well as the well-reported falling out between label owner Naira Marley and his Marlian House recording artist, Mohbad are at the core of insinuations that Mohbad’s death is linked to his falling out with Marley.
His mother while receiving a delegation told her audience – “I know my son, he told me that Naira Marley usually threatened him. Please Nigerians help me to look for him; please have mercy on me; that is all you can do for me. I cannot singlehandedly fish him out. Also, he told me the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) gave him some water in a bottle to drink sometimes ago. Help me please.
In Nigeria, artistes and label owners have been falling out since the time of Jide Obi and Tabansi Records, through Snoop Dog and Suge Knight all the way to last week when Aubrey O’Day of Danity Kane called out Puff Daddy (or whatever his current moniker is) over a request to sign an NDA.
There is even a trending story about Sunny Ade and his travails at the hand of his former label owner Chief Bolarinwa Abioro who ran African Songs Limited.
The fact is simple; to blow, an artiste needs a leg up. Cue the Svengali-like label owner aka Naira Marley in this instance. Studio sessions have to be booked. Producers have to be paid and those bottles of Hennessy and Martell don’t buy themselves. They are paid for by the label and label owner who is looking forward to recouping his investment.
So, while no one is holding brief for the alleged battery, one must also not lose sight of the fact that if MohBad needed to exit the Marlian family, he had to do it within the terms of his contract.
This is important because before he joined the Marlian family he was living in Ikorodu and going through hard times.
When he rhapsodises that “Hustle dey Odo Naira”on the song Holy, he is clearly a long way from the trenches he sings about in Feel good where he confesses that: “When I dey Ikorodu sapa mumi moma ronu, moma sukun.” – (When I was in Ikorodu, poverty held me in a vice grip, I wallowed in my thoughts, I drowned in tears).
The Marlian affiliation clearly wiped away his tears, for a while, it now seems, before things went awry.
WE ALL KILLED MOHBAD
The world is mourning the musical artiste known by the stage name MohBad aka Imole but how good was he? If he had not died on September 12th, 2023, would the world have noticed him the way they did?
And if we say he was so good and so full of potential, we must ask ourselves how many shows he played this year and by that I mean how many A-list shows?
The word on the streets is that promoters gave him a wide berth because he was hard to manage. They say he forgot lyrics and turned up late for shoes. Is all that true?
but if those are lies, the question to ask is why didn’t he get the big shows? Why was he not included in trips to O2 and world tours by artists he had collaborated with in the past?
Why didn’t the millions of people who have downloaded his songs and albums since his passing do so before he died?
Did Naira Marley have such a huge influence that he stopped promoters from booking MohBad and you and I from downloading his songs and albums? How many of us even knew he had a music label or what it was called?
Bella Schmurda has acknowledged that he didn’t include MohBad on his album because he didn’t want trouble from the Marlians.
Sure he was nominated for The Beatz and The Headies off the success of his first album, but since his death, his second album, Blessed has climbed to No. 1 on Apples album charts, knocking off Burna Boy and Davido.
If we had supported him while alive, he could have called Naira Marley’s bluff and paid no heed to the promoters who would not book him for shows. He would have been truly independent with the resources to take care of his family and grow his Imolenization record label.
You and I and all those expressing faux outrage on Twitter failed him. That is a fact.
And if you don’t believe me listen to Patoranking’s hit song “Celebrate Me” where he sings “Celebrate me now wey I dey alive/Appreciate me now I dey alive/No be when I leave this life/ You go dey fake am for my wife.”
WAS MOHBAD’S MUSIC ANY GOOD?
Now, to the music.
MohBad stamped his foot firmly in the Nigerian musical firmament with the release of his song, Ponmo, a risqué and infectious ditty featuring Naira Marley and Lil Kesh. It opens with a reference to a woman’s vagina and then trundles downhill from there.
The streets loved it. The salaciousness , the lewdness and the seeming panting of rabid dogs after Ponmo which is shorthand for you-know-what.
Ponmo is the number 3 song on his debut Light and even though the album opens with Sorry, a deeply contemplative song about his struggles and his home situation which borrows a verse from Sunny Ade’s 1974 hit, Esu biribiri pe bo mi o, it was to the risqué and the salacious that we flocked and now we mourn.
In borrowing from Sunny Ade, MohBad was calling on the world to come bear witness the story of his struggle. Did we bear witness?
Another hit song was KPK with Rexxie from which the line “Talo so pe ko po ke – was made a street anthem.
His first album which featured Naira Marley, Davido and Lil Kesh was clearly a Marlian House project as is evident from the production and sound except for the aforementioned Sorry and Father Abraham which stick out because of their subject matter and socially conscious lyrics spiced with scriptural references.
The album reflected MohBad’s promise and potential and aside from Ponmo, other stand-out tracks are Once Debe featuring Davido and Cinderella. The former enlists Davido and over a bouncy beat re-christens what we know as Okafor’s law. Davido’s lyrics anticipates Na Money featuring Cave Men and Angelique Kidjo off his Timeless album.
Where the first outing saw Mohbad through prism of the Marlians, in terms of aural aesthetics and lyrics, the second album, Blessed, is more mature, more contemplative and more self-assured and a reflection of who Mohbad is; the son of a pastor who wanted to escape a live of privation through music which he saw as a blessing.
Taken now with the benefit of hindsight, the songs in Blessed seem loaded and prescient. The first song Beast and Peace opens with “Mo silent mood but beast ni mi/Mo le cause violence but still, peace ni mi/You don’t have to hurt me, before you win/You don’t have to kill somebody before you sin.”
It appears that whoever he might have been addressing did not pay heed to his words and did not only hurt him but sinned by killing him but the jury is still out on whether it was a “win”.
In the second song, Sabi, Mohbad returns to church as he closes out with the already referenced “Don’t let my foes rejoice over.”
The fuji inflected Account Balance with Zlatan continues on the same trajectory with copious references to Jesu and keeping the peace but peace kept eluding him.
La pio pio sees Mohbad return to his Marlian roots with a catchy danceable tune that recalls the best of Naira Marley and here the boastfulness returns as he reference Don Jazzy in a beautiful pun – “because I turn Don dem say I use Jazz.”
Muted are the risqué references and allusions and where there was boasting about sexual prowess, Mohbad exhibits a more mature bent of mind. On Blessing for instance he drops wisdom as he thanks God – “I’m covered by your blessings/I’m living by your grace.”
The most underwhelming song on the album is Omo mi, a love song intended for his lover but it is a song stymied by the need to be politically correct in celebrating a loved one. It never rises to the heights of Cinderella or Omokomo from the Light EP.
But despite God’s blessing, MohBad seemed able to shake off dread as is evident in his constant references to enemies, frenemies, violence, hurt and death.
In Peace he opens with – Plenty enemy wey dey follow me/Maje ko mu mi (Don’t let them catch me).
Since his passing on September 12 and if the conspiracy theories are to be believed, it seems those enemies finally “caught him” but as he prophesied in the same song – I know there is a day all my pain will go away/ So then I party away.”
MohBad is likely looking down on us from Rock n Roll heaven and smiling with a spliff in his hand as he parties away while we work ourselves into a frenzy because all that pain has finally gone away.
@Lagosreview
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A Call to Unity and Focus: Overcoming Challenges Facing Nigerians in South Africa By George Omagbemi Sylvester
A Call to Unity and Focus: Overcoming Challenges Facing Nigerians in South Africa
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
The Nigerian community in South Africa represents one of the most vibrant and dynamic African diasporas on the continent. Comprising students, entrepreneurs, professionals, and families, Nigerians have contributed significantly to the socio-economic and cultural landscape of their host country. From pioneering businesses to excelling in academic and healthcare institutions, their presence is both visible and impactful.
However, beneath the surface of progress and resilience lie persistent challenges that threaten the peace, safety, and dignity of this community. These challenges—ranging from police brutality and lack of documentation to harassment, xenophobic violence, and political neglect—continue to define the lived experiences of many Nigerians in South Africa.
This piece is both a call to unity and a plea for purposeful action. It is an appeal for Nigerians in South Africa to rise above internal divisions—whether tribal, religious, or political—and refocus on the shared vision of securing justice, dignity, and equal opportunity for all. It is only through a unified, strategic, and internationally informed response that we can collectively address the systemic and social issues confronting our people.
Understanding the Challenges
1. Police Brutality and Unlawful Arrests
One of the most pressing concerns is the recurring issue of police brutality. Numerous reports by human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and local advocacy groups, have consistently highlighted cases where Nigerians are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement agencies. From unwarranted stop-and-search operations to physical abuse and extortion, many members of the Nigerian diaspora live in perpetual anxiety, fearing encounters with authorities meant to uphold their safety.
Historically, the mistrust between immigrant communities and law enforcement in South Africa is rooted in post-apartheid socio-political dynamics. The police force, often under-resourced and inadequately trained in diversity management, has sometimes defaulted to racial profiling. Nigerians, often stereotyped as drug traffickers or scammers, bear the brunt of this systemic bias. These actions not only contravene Section 9 of the South African Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law, but also violate international human rights instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
2. Lack of Proper Documentation
The issue of documentation is a complex interplay of bureaucratic inefficiencies, immigration policy shifts, and misinformation. Many Nigerians encounter protracted delays in securing residency, asylum, or work permits, often due to policy changes or restrictive visa frameworks aimed at curbing irregular migration. The South African Department of Home Affairs has been criticized for slow processing times, opaque requirements, and inconsistencies in documentation procedures.
For undocumented Nigerians, the consequences are severe. They face exploitation by unscrupulous landlords and employers, limited access to healthcare, and the inability to enroll their children in public schools. Without legal status, they are also left out of the protection net offered by South African labor laws, exposing them to unsafe working conditions and wage theft.
This situation reflects a broader economic reality: South Africa, like many nations, is grappling with high unemployment and poverty, making immigration a politically sensitive issue. Unfortunately, immigrants—particularly from other African countries—are often scapegoated in public discourse.
3. Harassment, Xenophobia, and Violence
Perhaps the most alarming of all is the recurrent wave of xenophobic violence that has periodically erupted across South African cities. From the violent uprisings in 2008 to more recent attacks in 2019, Nigerians have frequently been among the primary targets. These attacks have led to loss of life, destruction of property, and psychological trauma within the community.
Culturally, these acts of violence contradict the spirit of Ubuntu—an African philosophy that emphasizes communal values, human dignity, and hospitality. Politically, they reflect the failure of successive administrations to effectively address socio-economic disparities and to lead public opinion away from xenophobic sentiments.
Internationally, such violence has strained South Africa’s diplomatic relations with countries like Nigeria. The 2019 attacks, for instance, prompted diplomatic protests, economic retaliations, and calls for stronger protections for foreign nationals. It underscored the need for sustained bilateral dialogue and continental cooperation under frameworks like the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions “an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa.”
The Need for Unity
In the face of these adversities, unity among Nigerians in South Africa is not optional—it is imperative. Unfortunately, internal fragmentation based on ethnicity, religion, or personal ambition has often undermined collective advocacy efforts. The Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and other ethnic subgroups sometimes operate in silos, diminishing their collective bargaining power.
Yet, diversity should be a strength, not a stumbling block. Nigeria’s cultural richness, forged through centuries of inter-ethnic interaction, must be mirrored in the diaspora. Whether through pan-Nigerian associations like the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), professional bodies, or interfaith coalitions, there is a pressing need to organize around shared interests rather than sectional loyalties.
A unified Nigerian voice is more likely to influence South African policy, engage international organizations like the UNHCR or the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and partner effectively with civil society actors in promoting justice and reform.
Strategic Responses and the Path Forward
1. Legal Advocacy and Community Empowerment
There must be an intentional investment in legal literacy and access to justice. Community-based organizations should regularly host legal clinics to inform Nigerians of their rights, including what to do during police encounters, how to contest unlawful detentions, and how to file complaints with oversight bodies like the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
Establishing legal defense funds and partnering with South African law firms or university law clinics can provide pro bono support. Furthermore, by pursuing litigation and filing public interest cases, the Nigerian community can help shape jurisprudence that protects all immigrants in South Africa.
2. Engagement with Host Authorities
Engagement with local and national government structures is crucial. Nigerians must participate in town hall meetings, integrate into ward committees, and attend public consultations on urban safety and integration policies.
The Nigerian diplomatic mission, including the High Commission and consulates, must play a more assertive role. Consular outreach, passport renewal drives, and emergency hotlines must be streamlined to provide timely and effective assistance. Diplomatically, Nigeria must also leverage bilateral relations—using trade ties, continental influence, and multilateral platforms—to ensure the rights of its citizens are respected abroad.
3. Media and Narrative Control
The media is a powerful tool in shaping perceptions. Community leaders, content creators, and journalists must challenge toxic stereotypes and highlight the success stories of Nigerians in South Africa. This could be through social media campaigns, documentaries, community radio programs, or contributions to mainstream outlets.
Public relations efforts should emphasize the positive economic impact Nigerians make—as business owners who create jobs, as healthcare workers saving lives, and as innovators advancing technology. A shift in narrative is essential for social inclusion and long-term peace.
4. Youth Engagement and Leadership Development
Youth are not just the future; they are the present. We must invest in building leadership capacities among young Nigerians through mentorship programs, civic education, entrepreneurship incubators, and digital literacy initiatives.
Organizations should create youth councils that are actively involved in decision-making, event planning, and advocacy campaigns. Cultivating young leaders ensures sustainability and infuses community efforts with energy and innovation.
A Time for Reflection and Action
This is a defining moment for Nigerians in South Africa. It is a time to reflect deeply on our shared journey—how far we have come, the hurdles we continue to face, and the future we must build together. The challenges are real, but they are not insurmountable.
Let us recommit ourselves to the ideals of unity, resilience, and strategic action. As we prepare for community milestones such as the upcoming inauguration and the launch of our cultural magazine, let these events serve not only as celebrations but also as rallying points—a call to purpose, vision, and collective responsibility.
By embracing unity and focusing our energies on building alliances, advocating for justice, and strengthening our institutions, we can overcome adversity and leave behind a legacy of strength and dignity for the generations to come.
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