By Ayodele Johnson

After quite a time staying away, the scene that ushered Naira Marley back to Nigeria was nighttime at a local airport. On both sides, Tuesday, October 3, walking out of the arrival lobby, his aides are shielding a cloaked white-stained jacket he was wearing from view. They let him slide into a salon car that was waiting, and off to social media he goes.

Twitter in particular where he has been a top trend. Around 9:00 p.m., Naira Marley announced his presence in a tweet, sharing enthusiastically his willingness to help tidy up the investigation into Mohbad’s death.

In the moments leading to now, there has always been an effort by Naira Marley to own his story. Just like the last time on Instagram, he cut the figure of one who has been misjudged but won’t relent in proving himself not to be the vicious mind-controlling record label executive that he has sort of been made to be.

Here is where he announces his entry and plans for an imminent contact with the police:

“I’d like to share that I’ve just arrived back in Lagos, Nigeria to assist the authorities with the ongoing investigation.

“It’s important I do my part for Imole. I’ll be meeting with the police with hopes for the truth to be uncovered and for justice to prevail,” the post from Naira Marley.

I’d like to share that I’ve just arrived back in Lagos, Nigeria to assist the authorities with the ongoing investigation. It’s important I do my part for Imole. I’ll be meeting with the police with hopes for the truth to be uncovered and for justice to prevail.

— nairamarley (@officialnairam1) October 3, 2023

A week ago, one of his associates, Sam Larry Balogun Olamilekan Eletu was also arrested. It was reported a police arrest that happened right at the airport. Just like the label exec, he was away from the country. When Mohbad died on 12 September, Eletu was one of those the public accused of maltreating him, so he was wanted for police questioning.

ALSO READ: Investigation into Mohbad’s death shows strong green after crucial arrest by police

The Lagos State Police Command disclosed this in an announcement on Tuesday evening by its Public Relations Officer SP Benjamin Hundeyin.

According to the PRO, “Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley has been taken into custody for interrogation” and there will be other things that he can do.

Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley has been taken into custody for interrogation and other investigation activities…#justice4Mohbad #justiceforMohbad

— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) October 3, 2023

While the investigation side hots up, over in Mohbad’s household, there seems to be an interest in proving the paternity of Mohbad’s five-month-old son, Liam. Chatting in an interview with the BBC Pidgin Service, Mohbad’s father Joseph Aloba could confirm the thirst for a paternity test to be of global importance.

ALSO READ: Police exhume Mohbad’s corpse, next is the autopsy

“This thing has come to the majority now, not only in Nigeria. So they should do the proper thing at the proper time,” was Aloba’s comment around the topic.

Liam already has a future secured because help is coming in from everywhere, including from the Governor of Lagos Mr Babajide Sanwoolu. When the governor sent envoys over on a commiseration visit to the Mohbad’s mother, one of the promises was to finance Liam’s upkeep.

What that means for the baby is that when the dust blows away, which it will, the five-month-old will have a good life if the support coming from the government is rightly channelled.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.