Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, has reacted to the N500 million lawsuit threat against her by Nigerian singer, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley.
In a statement posted on her Instagram handle, the actress declared she has no regrets fighting for justice for the late Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad, and his family, despite the criticism she received.
Ojo, who said that she has never bullied anyone and strongly opposes bullying in any form, reiterated her unwavering commitment to achieving justice and fairness for Mohbad.
The actress who came into the limelight in 1998 for her role in the Satanic movie affirmed that justice for Mohbad is dear to her and millions of people around the world.
“I emphatically reject all forms of bullying and for me to bully, it is to continuously denigrate, hurt, and cause harm to others, and that is not me. Stepping on that dress on the show was a way to get talking points for the show for entertainment purposes, and we succeeded. No harm was meant.
“One of my main goals of starring on a reality TV show was to entertain everyone and give you all a show worthy of your time. I made sure that drama was the centrepiece of the show. In the midst of that drama, I may have offended some people and displayed some behaviours that are certain attributes to bullies. For that, I am truly sorry to all that I have offended,” she said.
Ojo maintained that she felt unfairly criticised and labelled a showoff actress for demanding justice for Mohbad.
The Lagos-born actress pointed out that those who know her are aware of her generosity, saying she consistently supports people behind the scenes, takes care of them, nurtures them, and uplifts them.
She said reading her daughter [Priscilla Ojo’s] post criticising Naira Marley deeply saddened her heart, adding that she could only imagine the burden it must be for her and her brother to be targeted online simply because of her.
The actress stated that the post moved her as a mother, and she vowed to give the world to her wards. She also expressed appreciation to her husband for his unwavering support during the storm.
The actress said, “When we agree, we can live together in peace. Even in our differences, we can learn to be cordial towards each other.”
Background
On December 14th, Priscilla Ojo, daughter of the actress, took to her Instagram handle to defend her mother against Naira Marley’s threat of a N500 million lawsuit over alleged defamation and libel.
She referred to the singer’s legal action as a ‘surprising move’ in light of existing evidence against him, without going into specifics to avoid potentially harmful or controversial details.
On December 15th, Naira Marley’s legal representative, Olalekan Ojo, a senior advocate, released a statement asking the actress to apologise publicly to the singer for her alleged defamatory comments against him.
The singer’s legal team threatened a potential N500 million lawsuit if Ojo did not apologise on Instagram and in a national daily newspaper within seven days.
On September 12th, Mohbad, a former artiste on Naira Marley’s record label, tragically passed away at the age of 27.
In the aftermath of his death, Naira Marley has faced allegations of either bullying Mohbad or orchestrating harassment against the late singer, claims he vehemently denies.
Before his untimely demise, Mohbad had expressed anxieties, pointing fingers at his former label head, Naira Marley, for potential repercussions if anything were to happen to him.
Since Mohbad’s passing, public focus has shifted to Naira Marley and his associate, Balogun Eletu, popularly known as Sam Larry.
Actress Ojo has taken the lead in advocating justice for the late singer.