Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, popularly known as Portable, has been remanded at the Oke Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin, Kwara State, after failing to meet the bail conditions set by an Upper Area Court.
Portable appeared in court on Monday, April 14, on charges related to defamation of character. Although the court granted him bail in the sum of ₦1 million, he was unable to meet the stringent conditions required for his release.
According to the court’s ruling, the singer must provide two sureties: one must be the Chairman or Secretary of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), and the other a property owner residing in a Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Ilorin with a valid Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).
The case, filed under First Information Report (FIR) 117(1) CPC, stems from a petition submitted on March 21, 2025, by fellow musician Okunola Saheed Osupa, known as Osupa. The petition followed a live Instagram broadcast on March 19 in which Portable allegedly defamed Osupa, accusing him of envy and sabotaging his musical career.
In the video, Portable reportedly stated:
“This man dey try bring down my shine! He be like person wey dey chop snail with shell—him no get sense. Osupa na tortoise. When Apple Music and Spotify wan drop money for me, na him remove my song from platform make I no see money.”
Osupa claimed that the statements were not only false and damaging to his reputation but also intended to incite public hostility and disrupt the peace.
Police sources confirmed that during questioning at the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Ilorin, Portable admitted to making the statements.
He has been charged under multiple legal provisions, including:
- Section 392 (Criminal Defamation)
- Section 114 (Inciting Disturbance)
- Section 397 (Criminal Intimidation) of the Penal Code
- Section 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015
- Sections 10 and 13 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2020
Investigating Police Officer, ASP Adeniyi James, confirmed that charges were filed following directives from police authorities. Portable will remain in custody until his bail conditions are met or a further court decision is made.
