“It is, therefore, not surprising to now see coffins inscribed with my name, barefaced videos threatening my life and properties, and further confirmation that my family and business enterprise remain endangered.”
Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo has broken her silence following a fire outbreak that gutted her Lagos office on Tuesday evening.
The mother of two, who posted the aftermath of the blaze on her Instagram page, announced that some properties, along with numerous valuables, were lost in the fire, but no lives were lost.
However, in a statement posted on her Instagram page on Thursday, the actress revealed that even before the issue concerning her office arose, she had been receiving threats to her life and family.
The threats, she said, were due to her advocacy for justice in the death of the late singer Ilerioluwa ‘Mohbad’ Aloba.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported Mohbad died on 12 September 2023 at the age of 27, under circumstances that sparked widespread public outcry and demands for justice.
Ojo was among the most vocal figures leading the call for justice on behalf of the late singer.
Her activism ultimately prompted a N500 million lawsuit against her in December 2023 by singer Azeez Fashola, known as Naira Marley, Mohbad’s former label boss.
Despite the criticism and legal battles, Ojo stated that she has no regrets standing up for Mohbad and his family in their pursuit of justice.
She said: “Sadly and to my dismay, specific individuals have, over the years, consistently called for my death, the destruction of my source of livelihood, and have incited public violence against me and my children, all without any intervention from the authorities. Without prejudice to the ongoing investigation, it is essential to state that a few days before my daughter’s wedding in Tanzania, I received a letter threatening my life at my office. The letter explicitly stated that I would go through hell in the next three months.
“It is, therefore, not surprising to now see coffins inscribed with my name, barefaced videos threatening my life and properties, and further confirmation that my family and business enterprise remain endangered. I am fully aware that because of my political opinions during the last elections, I have been subjected to intimidation, sponsored attacks, and personal insults. However, those views were honest personal expressions, which I strongly believe should not result in vendettas or attacks from any individual or group of persons.”
I pointed no fingers at anyone
Additionally, the actress, who said she found solace in the scripture that ‘many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them from all, ‘ clarified that she never accused anyone of being responsible for Mohbad’s death.
She further noted that her advocacy for social justice and political stance during the 2023 general election earned her numerous enemies.
She said this accounts for some of the challenges she is currently facing.
“I wish to clarify that I never accused anyone of being responsible for Mohbad’s death. I was reacting emotionally to disturbing videos circulating at the time and used my platform to call for justice. I have always sought justice through the proper authorities, bearing all expenses personally through my foundation. It is entirely within the police’s prerogative to invite any individual they consider relevant to an investigation.
“As a private citizen, it is not within my powers or place to direct the course of such decisions. I am fully ready to honour further police invitations or arraignment, as I have done in the past, without fear. However, my office was recently destroyed by fire. It is only humane to allow me the emotional space and time to tend to my health and wellbeing”, Ojo noted.
Justice
She stated that she could not dictate how the police should conduct their investigation into Mohbad’s death.
Ojo also confirmed that, in the course of advocating for justice, she wrote letters to several key officials through her non-governmental organisation, Pinkies Foundation.
These included the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the State Attorney General; the Commissioner of Police; the Assistant Inspector General of Police; and several others.
Ojo said, “It is no longer news that I was recently invited by the Nigeria Police Force, National Cybercrime Centre, Abuja, over petitions bordering on cyberbullying and other allegations concerning a live video I recorded a few years ago. In that video, I requested specific individuals to make themselves available for investigation into the sudden death of Mohbad to prove their innocence or otherwise.
“In these letters, we requested an independent and comprehensive investigation, as well as a coroner’s inquest, into the death of the deceased. All of these steps point to the fact that I never affirmed that any specific individual caused Mohbad’s death. Otherwise, I would not have taken the legal and investigative actions I did.”
