Ogun State Court Sentences Popular Artist Portable to Three Months in Prison for Assault and Theft
Ogun State Chief Magistrate Court in Ifo Local Government Area has handed down a three-month jail term to renowned street-hop artist Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, or an alternative fine of N30,000. The musician was convicted of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
Portable’s arrest occurred in March 2023 after he reportedly physically attacked a police inspector and hindered officers attempting to serve him with an arrest warrant. The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olumide Awoleke, told the court that the incident took place on November 18, 2022, at approximately 11:00 a.m. in Okeosa, Ilogbo, within the Ifo Magisterial District.
The official charge sheet detailed the allegations, stating that Portable, whose real name is Badmus Habeeb Okikiola, and others at large, conspired to commit a felony—specifically assault on the specified date and location. The document further accused him of physically assaulting Emmanuel Oluwafemi Osimosu, beating him extensively, an offense that contravenes Section 351 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.
Additionally, the prosecution alleged that Portable had engaged in theft on multiple occasions in 2022, stealing musical equipment, including a Yamaha H55 studio monitor, a complete Studio 2 interface connection cable, and an AKG P420 condenser microphone. These acts are said to violate Sections 383 and 384 and are punishable under Section 390 of the same laws.
In delivering his verdict, Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo found Portable guilty of Counts 1 and 2. The court sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment for Count 1, with an option of paying a N10,000 fine, and two months’ imprisonment for Count 2, with an alternative fine of N20,000.
The judgment underscores the court’s stance on accountability for assault, resisting arrest, and theft, even by high-profile individuals in the entertainment industry.
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