Following the incarceration of controversial singer Portable in the Ilaro correctional centre pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions, the singer has joined other Nigerian entertainers who have spent time in jail.
The Zazzoo crooner was brought before the court on a five-count charge of assault and stealing
Portable’s ordeal started last Tuesday when two videos of the musician raining curses and physically fighting some men of the Nigeria police surfaced on the internet.
Dissatisfied by the development, the police ordered the singer to report at the nearest police station within 72 hours.
At the order’s expiration, the singer was arrested by the police.
The police who condemned the singer’s actions also threatened to prosecute him.
Some of his charges read, “That you, BADMUS HABEEB OKIKIOLA, M A.KA PORTABLE, and others now at large on the 28th day of March 2023 at 11:00hrs at Odogwu Bar, Oke-Osa, Ilogbo, Ifo in the Ifo Magisterial District did willfully cause or inflict physical injury on one Inspector Hammed Moshood ‘m’ with your elbow on his nose which caused blood to gush out from his nose and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 4 (1) of the Violence against persons & Prohibition Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2017.
“That you, BADMUS HABEEB OKIKIOLA M A.KA PORTABLE on the same date, time and place in the Magisterial mentioned above District, did resist to be arrested by Inspector Hammed Moshood ‘m’, ASP Gregory Iyoha ‘m’, and ASP Kunle Badmus ‘m’ after serving you with Police Invitation Letter on the 20 day of January 2023 for the offences you committed when they were about to discharge their duty with a warrant of arrest on you, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 197 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.”
Portable’s counsel, Adodo Destiny, in turn prayed the court to grant the singer bail.
Delivering his ruling on the bail application made by his counsel, the magistrate, A.S Shoneye, said the offences were bailable and immediately granted him bail with a bail bond of N300,000 and two sureties who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
The court, however, ruled that Portable be transferred to the Ilaro correctional centre, pending the time his bail requirements are met.
A video has since emerged on social media showing the singer being whisked away by security officials.
Moment Portable Was Led Out Of Courtroom
Singer Portable has been granted bail by a High Court in Ifo, Ogun State.
In the video shared on Monday, the singer was seen being led out of the courtroom into the vehicle by prison officials. pic.twitter.com/FwevYFh0wT
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) April 3, 2023
Following his ordeal, Portable has now joined other singers who have had course to spend time in prison.
One of such singer is Burna Bo. The Grammy Awards winner was arrested in 2017 for his involvement in the robbery of his colleague, Abiye Jumbo, popularly called Mr 2kay.
He was subsequently arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on two counts of ‘accessory to after fact and failing to give information to the police on the attack’.
Before his arraignment, the singer had been declared wanted by the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, following his refusal to respond to an invitation by the police.
Four suspects, including Burna Boy’s road manager, Joel Kantiock, had been paraded for allegedly robbing Mr 2Kay on October 22, 2017, in his room at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, after a show.
The suspects allegedly confessed that Burna Boy mobilised them with an initial cash sum of N50,000 and a subsequent sum of N50,000 to carry out the attack.
Another singer who has been locked up in the police den is Naira Marley. Born Azeez Fashola, the singer stirred controversy following his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged cases of Internet fraud and money laundering.
Asides Naira Marley, former Chocolate City sensation, Ice Prince, also had his day at the correctional facility.
In September 2022, Nigerian rapper, Ice Prince Zamani was arrested for allegedly abducting a police officer. This was confirmed by the Police Command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin.
Hundeyin narrated the incident that led to Ice Prince’s arrest on his verified Twitter handle.
“At 3am today, @Iceprincezamani was stopped for driving without license plates. He agreed to be taken to the station. He, thereafter, abducted the police officer in his car, assaulted him and threatened to throw him in the river. He has been arrested and would be arraigned,” Hundeyin wrote.
