From Mansur Aramide, Ilorin
An Upper Area Court sitting in Ilorin yesterday granted controversial hip-hop singer, Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, popularly known as Portable, bail in the sum of N1 million following his arraignment on charges of criminal defamation, intimidation, inciting disturbance, and cyberstalking. Presiding over the case, Sunday Adeniyi ordered Portable to provide two sureties in like sum as part of the bail conditions.
According to the court, one of the sureties must be either the Chairman or Secretary of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), while the other must own a landed property in a Government Reserved Area (GRA) with a valid Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).
The court also directed that Portable be remanded at the Oke-Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, and adjourned further hearing to April 30.
The singer was arraigned under multiple legal provisions, including Section 392 (Criminal Defamation), Section 114 (Inciting Disturbance), and Section 397 (Criminal Intimidation) of the Penal Code; Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015; and Sections 10 and 13 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2020.
According to the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), ASP Adeniyi James, the charges were filed on the direct instructions of police authorities. Police investigators stated that Portable confessed to the allegations during interrogation at the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Ilorin.
The case, filed as First Information Report (FIR) 117(1) CPC, was initiated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) following a petition dated March 21, 2025, by fellow artist OkunolaSaheed, popularly known as Osupa.
The petition alleged that Portable, during a live Instagram broadcast on March 19, 2025, made defamatory remarks against Osupa, accusing him of jealousy and of attempting to sabotage his career.
In the viral video, Portable was quoted as saying: “This man dey try bring down my shine! He be like person weydey chop snail with shell—him no get sense. Osupana tortoise. When Apple Music and Spotify wan drop money for me, na him remove my song from platform make I no see money.”
Osupa described the statements as damaging, inciting, and a direct attack on his reputation, further alleging that the broadcast had caused public tension and unrest.
