“Mohbad passed NECO in one sitting, I don’t know why he joined Naira Marley” – Former principal attests

Abidemi Faboye, the founder of the school where late musician Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, studied, has shared his memories of the artist and pondered on his NECO examination.

According to Punch News, Faboye, the proprietor and principal of Abifab College, a secondary school in Ikorodu, Lagos, remembered meeting the late musician.

He mentioned that their paths crossed in 2013. He explained, “I first met him when he enrolled at my school in 2013.”

“Interestingly, his elder sister, Blessing, had also graduated from our school that same year.”

Describing Mohbad during his school years, Faboye reminisced, “He came to us from a public school, initially a quiet and slender young man.”

“It’s noteworthy that he underwent quite a transformation after secondary school, gaining some weight in the subsequent years.”

Faboye also praised Mohbad’s academic prowess, stating, “He was remarkably bright and managed to pass his exams in a single attempt.”

“At the time, he was just 17 and appeared more mature than some of his classmates. In 2015, he successfully completed the National Examination Council senior secondary certificate exam.”

Reflecting on their teacher-student relationship, Faboye shared, “During his two years at our school, he affectionately called me ‘daddy,’ though I preferred my students to address me as ‘Abifab’ or ‘Mr. Abifab.’ He would often laugh when I encouraged him to use those titles.”

“He pursued a commercial course and achieved excellent results, certainly above average.”

“Importantly, he was a peaceful and easygoing individual, rarely causing any trouble.”

Addressing Mohbad’s affiliation with Naira Marley’s record label, the Marlian group, Faboye expressed surprise, saying, “I was taken aback when I learned he was associated with the Marlian group.”

“I had my doubts about how well he would fit into such a group. While he was mature, I assumed he might have been influenced by others who joined the label. I prayed for his success because we had limited contact after he left school.”

Faboye continued, “Many of us, including the teachers who had taught him, were genuinely surprised by his journey. When we heard about his stage name ‘Imole,’ we were intrigued.”

“I wasn’t familiar with afrobeats music until my daughter informed me, ‘Uncle Promise is now Mohbad.’ That’s when I reached out to him through Messenger and obtained his number.”

“I discovered that his father was a carpenter and, as a student, he often assisted his dad and learned carpentry skills from him, with his father being a pastor as well.”