Portable Remanded in Ilorin Prison Over Defamation Case Involving Osupa

Nigerian street-hop star Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, widely known as Portable, has been remanded in the Oke Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin, Kwara State, after failing to meet the strict bail conditions set by an Upper Area Court.

On Monday, April 14, 2025, the controversial singer was granted bail of ₦1 million following his arraignment on charges related to defamation of character. The court ruled that he must present two sureties of the same amount. One surety must be either the chairman or secretary of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), while the other must be a property owner in Ilorin's Government Reserved Area (GRA) and provide a valid Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). Despite the court granting bail, Portable was unable to immediately fulfill the conditions and was therefore remanded.

What Led to the Arrest?

The charges stem from a petition filed by fellow artist Okunola Saheed Osupa, popularly known as Osupa, on March 21, 2025. In the petition, Osupa accused Portable of making defamatory remarks during a live Instagram session held on March 19.

In the now-viral video, Portable allegedly said:

>“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.”

which implies this man is trying to dim my shine! He behaves like someone eating a snail with the shell—he lacks sense. Osupa is like a tortoise. When Apple Music and Spotify were about to pay me, he took down my song so I wouldn’t get the money. According to Osupa, the statements were not only false and damaging to his reputation but also capable of inciting public hatred and disturbing the peace.

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Legal Grounds and Confession

The police, through the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Ilorin, launched an investigation based on the complaint and subsequently charged Portable under multiple sections of the law:

Section 392 (Criminal Defamation)

Section 114 (Inciting Disturbance)

Section 397 (Criminal Intimidation) of the Penal Code

Sections 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

    Police sources confirmed that during interrogation, Portable allegedly confessed to the accusations. The investigating police officer, ASP Adeniyi James, stated that the charges were filed based on directives from police authorities.

What’s Next?

Until the bail conditions are met, Portable will remain in custody. Fans and the public await further updates on the high-profile case.

Watch the video below…