Ogun State Police Command has arrested popular Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, also known as Portable, for allegedly assaulting police officers.
The arrest follows the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum issued to the singer to turn himself in. He will remain in custody until Monday when he will be charged in court.
According to sources, Portable had refused to honour police invitation over the alleged assault. The Force Headquarters in Abuja had described the musician’s action as unruly and punishable under the law. The Ogun State Police Command subsequently asked the singer to either turn himself in or face police arrest once the ultimatum elapsed.
On Tuesday, two videos surfaced on social media, showing Portable raining curses and manhandling police officers at his Odogu bar located in the Sango Ota area of Ogun State. In the videos, the singer claimed that an alleged internet fraudster had brought the police officers to his bar to arrest him and his staff members “for no reason.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed Portable’s arrest and stated that he was cooling off in police custody at the State Police Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
Oyeyemi also revealed that the police had sent five invites to the singer and another through his father, but he never honoured any of the summonses.
The arrest follows a petition by a young studio owner who claimed that Portable and his aides beat him up and locked his studio.
Portable is a well-known artist in Nigeria’s Yoruba music scene, known for his fuji music style.
©Standard Gazette, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Standard Gazette with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.