CONTROVERSIAL Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has been remanded at the Oke Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin, the Kwara State, for failing to meet bail conditions set by an Upper Area Court.
The singer was arraigned on Monday, April 14, before the Area Court sitting in Ilorin over allegations of defamation character levelled against him by a Fuji musician Akorede Saheed, also known as Saheed Osupa.
The court granted him bail of N1 million among other conditions, shortly after the charges were read, but the singer was unable to meet the bail requirements as of the time of filing this report, according to media reports.
The singer was also asked to provide two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be either the Chairman or Secretary of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and the other must be a resident property owner in a Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Ilorin, with a valid Certificate of Occupancy as proof.
The ICIR reported that Kwara State police on Sunday, arrested singer ‘Portable’, over allegations of criminal defamation, threat to life, and incitement against Osupa.
The controversial musician was also accused of character assassination by the police.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kwara Command, Superintendent (SP) Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement released on Sunday, April 14, said the command acted by the law after receiving credible evidence to support the petition.
According to the police, the petition borders on serious allegations, which include criminal defamation, threat to life, incitement, character assassination, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, and the use of abusive and insulting words.
The police said Portable was arrested in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday, April 13, 2025, around 7:25 pm, by Kwara State Police officers who had obtained an arrest warrant from a Magistrate Court in Ilorin.
The ICIR reported that Portable surrendered to the Lagos State Police Command in February 2025 after he was declared wanted by the Ogun State Police Command.
His then arrest followed an incident on February 5, 2025, in which he was accused of leading a violent attack on government officials from the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development during an enforcement exercise in Ota.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M