A Magistrate Court sitting in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State has sentenced controversial hip-hop artiste, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, to three months’ imprisonment for assault.
The sentence comes with an option of a N30,000 fine.
Portable was initially arraigned before the court in April 2023 on a three-count charge involving assault and theft of musical equipment, under charge sheet number MIF/192C/2023. At the time, he was granted bail set at N300,000 with two sureties from his immediate family.
The artist, however, reportedly failed to appear in court for subsequent proceedings. As a result, he was re-arrested and brought before the court last Thursday. He was then remanded in the custody of the state Correctional Service before being returned to court on Tuesday for judgment.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olumide Awoleke, told the court that the offences were committed on November 18, 2022, around 11:00 a.m. in the Okeosa, Ilogbo area, which falls under the Ifo Magisterial District.
The charge sheet stated, “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 (m), 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, 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.”
Delivering his judgment, Chief Magistrate Babajide Ilo found Portable guilty on counts one and two.
The court sentenced the singer to one month in prison or a N10,000 fine for count one and two months in prison or a N20,000 fine for count two.
