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Nigerian music star, Naira Marley denies any involvement in death of former protege, MohBad

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Nigerian musician, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, has officially issued a statement denying any complicity in the mysterious death of his former signee and protege, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, aka MohBad.

Naira Marley is the owner of Marlin Records where MohBad was signed on before they had a falling out leading to controversies and insinuations that he had a hand in the death of the youngster.

The singer, who is currently out of the country, announced on social media his intention to return to Nigeria in order to cooperate with the police in ongoing investigation into the tragic death of his former protege.

In a statement released by his management on his official Instagram account, Naira Marley expressed his sadness at the demise of MohBad, whom he said he considered not just a former signee but also a brother and a member of his musical family.

He further lamented what he termed a “barrage of false stories and threats directed at him in the wake of this tragedy.”

“In the last few days, there has been a lot of onslaught on my person and reputation globally over the death of my former signee,” the statement read.

“All manner of stories have been woven against me in respect of his untimely death. I have not only been in shock over the death of the deceased whom I considered to be my brother and member of our music family, but over the various lies spread and threats against me.”

The Marlin label owner went on to disclose that he had no hand in the tragic death of MohBad, either directly or indirectly.

He acknowledged that though they had “disagreements which are common in the music industry, even among close associates,” their differences were never as extreme as some people had portrayed.

He added that they were in the process of legally resolving their business disputes before MohBad’s passing.

“My decision to remain silent until now was because of the emotional distress I have been passing through over the loss of MohBad and my desire not to compromise the ongoing investigation,” he said.

Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

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Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.

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Culture

Miss SA opens up on why she withdrew from Miss Universe pageant

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Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.

While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.

“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.

“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.

“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”

She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.

She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.

“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.

“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.

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