Naira Marley and Sam Larry sue magistrate and police over their continued detention, demand N40m

Singer Azeez Fashola popularly known as Naira Marley and socialite Samson Eletu, better known as Sam Larry have filed a fundamental rights suit to challenge their “continued detention” over the death of singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, alias Mohbad.

In the lawsuit filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos by their lawyer, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Naira Marley and Sam Larry are each demanding N20m damages from the police and the Lagos magistrate, Adeola Olatunbosun, over what they termed as their “continued detention” in police custody. They  joined the police and the Lagos magistrate as defendants in the suit.

Recall that on October 4, a Magistrate sitting in Yaba had ordered the remand of Naira Marley and Sam Larry in police custody for 21 days over the death of 27-year-old Mohbad who died on September 12.

Naira Marley and Sam Larry in the lawsuit argued that the magistrate ordered their remand for only 21 days and the period had elapsed. They are seeking “an order of the court releasing the applicants forthwith.”

In the affidavits attached to their suits,  deponents said

“Their travails started between October 3 and 4, 2023 when they were arrested by the police on the alleged connection of the applicants with the death of one Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad. On the 4th day of October 2023,  the Commissioner of Police sought an order in the Magistrates’ Court, held at Yaba to remand them for 30 days. Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun granted the police application to remand them for only 21 days in the custody of the police. The 21-day remand order granted by Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun has since lapsed on October 26, 2023, and the order has not been renewed.”