Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, has countered Nigerian singer, Naira Marley’s N500 million lawsuit threat with a N1 billion countersuit.
Ojo accused Naira Marley of deliberately misleading the public by claiming she owed him an apology for defamation and libel.
In a legal statement from her lawyer, O. I. Salami, the mother-of-two, claimed Naira Marley’s letter dated 12 December caused her significant harm and damaged her reputation among respectable members of society.
Ojo’s lawyer, Mr Salami, claimed that the letter addressed to his client which was not delivered had caused her income losses in both Nigeria and abroad.
In addition to financial compensation, the lawyer on behalf of his client demanded a public apology from Naira Marley’s lawyer.
Mr Salami further alleged that the lawyer breached ethical norms by publicly releasing the letter before confirming its delivery to the actress.
Ojo’s lawyer warned that if the apology is not issued, they will be forced to pursue appropriate legal action related to the alleged professional misconduct.
“Without any atom of ambiguity and iota of doubt, our client reiterates there is reasonable cause(s) to believe the said Naira Marley cannot be isolated from psychological trauma, mental torture, emotional outburst, ago,ny and anxiety suffered by the late Mohbad, taking cognizance of the said event’s after Mohbad terminates its recording label record, viral gory video, cryptic songs, Mohbad’s petitions, threats and lastly, our client’s personal encounter with Mohbad and several others,” part of the statement read.
Background
Actress Iyabo Ojo posted on her Instagram earlier today saying she has no regrets about fighting for justice for the late Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as Mohbad, and his family, despite facing criticism and legal threats from Mohbad’s former boss.
She also denied ever bullying anyone and reiterated her strong opposition to bullying in any form, noting that she remains committed to achieving justice and fairness for Mohbad.
On 15 December, Naira Marley’s lawyer, Olalekan Ọjọ́, a senior advocate, issued a statement requesting actress Iyabo Ojo to publicly apologise to the singer for alleged defamatory comments.
The singer’s legal team threatened a potential N500 million lawsuit if Ojo did not apologise on Instagram and in a national newspaper within seven days.
The threat led to Ojo’s daughter, Priscilla Ojo, slamming the singer over the threat of a N500 million lawsuit over alleged defamation and libel on 14 December.
READ ALSO: N500m Legal Threat: I’ve no regret fighting for Mohbad’s justice – Iyabo Ojo
Ojo’s daughter 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 12 September, 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.
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