Controversial Nigerian street-hop artist, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has been sentenced to three months in prison by a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ifo, Ogun State, after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer and obstructing arrest.
The court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo, however, gave the musician the option of paying a N30,000 fine in lieu of serving the jail term. The judgement stems from an incident that occurred on November 18, 2022, during which Portable assaulted Inspector Osimosu Emmanuel Oluwafemi and resisted arrest in the Okeosa area of Ilogbo, within the Ifo Magisterial District.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olumide Awoleke, told the court that Portable and others still at large had conspired to commit felony and unlawfully assaulted the police officer. The artist was also accused of stealing musical equipment, although he was not convicted on that charge.
According to the charge sheet, Portable’s actions violated Sections 351 and 517 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2006. For the assault, the court sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment with an option of a N20,000 fine, while for resisting arrest, he received a one-month sentence with an option of a N10,000 fine.
The ruling brings to a close months of legal back-and-forth following Portable’s dramatic encounter with law enforcement in March 2023, when he physically attacked officers attempting to serve him a warrant.
The singer, who rose to fame in 2021 with his breakout hit “Zazoo Zeh,” is no stranger to controversy, often making headlines for his volatile behaviour and run-ins with authorities.
