Controversial Nigerian singer Badmus Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, narrowly avoided re-arrest on Tuesday following the withdrawal of a petition filed against him by veteran Fuji musician Okunola Saheed, also known as Osupa.
Osupa had accused Portable of criminal defamation, intimidation, inciting public disturbance, and cyberstalking in a petition to the police. Acting on this, the Kwara State Police Command arraigned Portable on Monday before an Upper Area Court in Ilorin.
The charges brought against Portable included violations of Section 392 (Criminal Defamation), Section 114 (Inciting Disturbance), and Section 397 (Criminal Intimidation) of the Penal Code, as well as 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.
The petition claimed that Portable, during a live Instagram broadcast on March 19, 2025, made defamatory comments accusing Osupa of jealousy and attempts to undermine his career.
The presiding magistrate, Sunday Adeniyi, granted Portable bail in the sum of ₦1 million, with two sureties. One surety was required to be the chairman of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, and the other to own landed property within the Government Reserve Area under the court’s jurisdiction.
However, Portable was unable to meet the bail conditions on Monday and was remanded at the federal correctional facility in Oke Kura, Ilorin.
Relief came on Tuesday when Osupa, through his solicitor Opalekunde Ahmed, filed for the withdrawal of the case.
Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, Ahmed explained that his client decided to drop the charges following interventions and appeals from notable stakeholders.
He said Osupa was resorting to settling the case with Portable out of court.
The withdrawal letter, however, conveyed Osupa’s warning that Portable desists from further publications, or utterances disparaging his person.
The withdrawal letter read, “It’s our client’s (nominal complainant) instruction that the stakeholders in the music industry and other notable personalities in the society have intervened in the matter and pleaded to the nominal complainant to withdraw the case against the defendant in the interest of public peace.
“We hereby on behalf of our client apply to withdraw the case against the defendant and terminate same accordingly as the matter had been resolved amicably.
“Further, sir, we want to pray the court to admonish and warn the defendant to desist from any further publications, utterances and any other acts aiming at disparaging the person and businesses of the nominal complainant.”
Similarly, Osupa’s lawyer, Abdulqadir Ajasa confirmed that Osupa decided to withdraw the case following the intervention of some well-to-do members of the society pleading with Saheed to withdraw the case against the controversial singer.
The PUNCH correspondent gathered that Portable was released and left Ilorin, Kwara state, Tuesday afternoon.
But, Osupa also prevented Portable from being re-arrested by Managing Director of Starwood Hotels, Ilorin after allegedly collecting the sum of N6.3m for a show that he did not perform.
In the new development, Managing Director of the hotel, Mr Yemi George, said on Tuesday that Osupa prevailed on him not to re-arrest Portable after collecting the sum of N6.3m for a show that he did not perform.
“I have obtained every necessary document to re-arrest him today (Tuesday) to refund my money but out of respect for the legendary fuji musician (Osupa) who prevailed on me not to.
“My company, Starwood Hotels O2 Arena in collaboration with the leadership of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria put an event together for Portable to perform but he never did,” George said.
According to a document titled Petition for fraudulent and obtaining by false pretence the sum of N6.3m, the petitioners said they entered agreement with Portable on July 22, 2024, which he never respected.
According to the petition, Portable was paid N6.3m to perform at the ‘Kwara Tampan Fiesta’ on September 29, 2024, but failed to appear on stage at the agreed-upon time.
Despite arriving over 16 hours late, he allegedly sneaked out of his hotel lodge without fulfilling his promise to perform.
The petitioners claim that Portable’s actions caused significant financial loss and distress, and they are seeking a thorough investigation, prosecution and restitution of the N6,300,000 allegedly obtained through fraudulent means.
The petition was signed by Chief Olu Amusan, Governor, TAMPAN and Ayodele Demokun on behalf of Starwood Hotels 02 Arena.
Meanwhile, Portable has had a history of being arrested and subsequently released.
In February, Portable was declared wanted by the Ogun State Police Command after he and his associates allegedly attacked government officials from the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority at his bar in Iyana Ilogbo. The officials had visited to enforce regulatory compliance when the singer and his crew allegedly beat them up and vandalized their equipment.
Nine of his associates were arrested and arraigned in court, but Portable himself allegedly went into hiding and remained at large until February 19, 2025, when he turned himself in to the police in Lagos State.
In May 2024, Portable, became a trending topic after being arrested on May 14, 2024, over a debt he incurred after buying a N27 million G-Wagon from a car dealer.
Videos circulating across social media platforms show Portable being spoken to by policemen who read his warrant out to him, right before he swiftly leapt over a gate and ran away. The second video showed the moment he resisted after being apprehended by the policemen who carried him to the patrol vehicle.
In March 2023, Portable was arrested on March 31, 2023, after ignoring a 72-hour ultimatum given by the Ogun State Police Command to turn himself in. This followed allegations that he assaulted a man at his bar, Odogwu Bar, in Ogun State. After spending the weekend in custody, he was arraigned in court and granted bail.