Portable escapes jail time after paying fine

Controversial Nigerian hip-hop star Habeeb Okikiola, better known by his stage name Portable, has narrowly avoided a three-month jail sentence after opting to pay a court-imposed fine of ₦30,000.

The judgment was delivered on Tuesday by Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo at the Magistrate Court in Ifo, Ogun State. Portable was found guilty on charges of assault relating to an incident that took place on November 18, 2022, in the Okeosa, Ilogbo area of the Ifo Magisterial District.

The singer’s legal troubles stemmed from a public altercation that caught the attention of law enforcement and eventually led to formal charges.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olumide Awoleke, told the court that Portable’s actions violated public peace and warranted legal action. The court, however, offered the singer an option of fine, which he promptly paid, sparing him from jail time.

The charge sheet read: “That you, Badmus Habeeb Okikiola a.k.a. Portable, and others now at large, on the 18th day of November 2022 at 11:00 hrs in Okeosa, Ilogbo, within the Ifo Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit a felony to wit: assault, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2006.

“That you, Habeeb Okikiola Olalomi, on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned district, did unlawfully assault one Osimosu Emmanuel Oluwafemi, by beating him all over his body, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 351 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.

“That you, Badmus Habeeb Okikiola a.k.a. Portable, sometime in the year 2022, at Okeosa, Ilogbo, in the Ifo Magisterial District, did steal some musical gadgets including a Yamaha H55 studio monitor, complete studio 2 interface connection cable, and an AKG P420 condenser microphone, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 383 and 384, and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2006.”

In his judgment, Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo stated that the singer was found guilty on counts one and two.

Portable was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with an option of a N10,000 fine on count one and two months’ imprisonment with an option of a N20,000 fine on count two.

It will be recalled that Portable was earlier arraigned before the Magistrate Court in April 2023 on a three-count charge bordering on assault and theft of a musical instrument, under charge sheet No. MIF/192C/2023.

The singer was initially granted bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties from his immediate family.

However, he was said to have been brought before the court last Thursday after failing to appear for some time.

He was then remanded in the state Correctional Service and brought back to court on Tuesday when the judgment was delivered.