Court convicts Portable, sentences singer to three months in prison

Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo on Tuesday convicted controversial singer Habeeb Olalomi Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, and sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment.

 Tribune Online recalls that the singer was arraigned before the Magistrate Court in Ifo in April 2023 on a three-count charge bordering on assault and the theft of musical instruments, as stated in charge sheet No. MIF/192C/2023.

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

It was reported that he appeared before the court last Thursday and was later remanded for failing to appear at previous hearings despite multiple adjournments.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olumide Awoleke, had earlier informed the court that the defendant, Habeeb Okikiola, committed the offence on 18 November 2022 at approximately 11:00 hrs in Okeosa, Ilogbo, within the Ifo Magisterial District.

The charge sheet reads:

“That you, Badmus Habeeb Okikiola, aka 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 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 (male) by beating him all over his body, thereby committing 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, aka Portable, on various occasions in the year 2022, at Okeosa, Ilogbo, within the Ifo Magisterial District, did steal some musical equipment, including a Yamaha H55 studio monitor, a complete Studio 2 interface connection cable, and an AKG P420 condenser, thereby committing an offence contrary to Sections 384 and 383 and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2006.”

In his judgement, Chief Magistrate Ilo ruled that the singer was guilty of counts 1 and 2.

He sentenced the defendant to one month’s imprisonment with an option of a N10,000 fine for Count 1 and two months’ imprisonment with an option of a N20,000 fine for Count 2.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE