Controversial hip-hop musician Habeeb Okikiola, also known as Portable, avoided a three-month jail sentence after paying a ₦30,000 fine.
Portable was sentenced to three months in prison for assault on Tuesday by Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo’s court in Ifo, Ogun State’s Ifo Local Government Area, with the option of paying a N30,000 fine.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olumide Awoleke, had informed the court that Okikiola committed the act on November 18, 2022, at approximately 11:00 hrs in Okeosa, Ilogbo, inside the Ifo Magisterial District.
The charge sheet read: “That you, Badmus Habeeb Okikiola a.k.a. 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 a 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 by beating him all over his body and thereby committed 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 a.k.a. Portable, sometime in the year 2022, at Okeosa, Ilogbo, in the Ifo Magisterial District, did steal some musical gadgets, including a Yamaha H55 studio monitor, a complete studio 2 interface connection cable, and an AKG P420 condenser microphone, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 383 and 384 and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2006.”
Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo ruled that the singer was guilty on counts one and two.
Portable was sentenced to one month in prison with the option of a N10,000 fine on count one and two months in prison with the option of a N20,000 fine on count two.
It will be noted that Portable was originally charged before the Magistrate Court in April 2023 on a three-count charge bordering on assault and theft of a musical instrument under charge sheet No. MIF/192C/2023.
The musician was first given bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties from his immediate family.
However, he was alleged to have been taken before the court last Thursday after failing to appear for some time.
He was then remanded to the state Correctional Service and returned to court on Tuesday, when the judgement was issued.
