N14m debt: Portable regains freedom

Controversial singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has regained his freedom after meeting the bail conditions set for his release following his arrest by the Nigeria Police on Tuesday.

He was arrested after failing to pay N14m debt he incurred when he purchased a G-Wagon from a car dealer in Lagos State.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the state Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the development on Wednesday evening.

When asked by our correspondent if Portable had been released after meeting his bail conditions, the PPRO said, “He’s been granted bail.”

Hundeyin, while responding to an inquiry on whether Portable passed the night in police custody over failure to meet his bail conditions on Wednesday morning, said, “He has presented no reliable surety yet, so he (Portable) is still with us.”

Meanwhile, in two viral videos showing the moment policemen attempted to arrest Portable, our correspondent observed in one of the videos that the musician attempted to evade arrest when he fled the scene.

The policemen, who gave him a hot chase, caught up with him and pinned him down.

In spite of pinning him down, our correspondent, while observing the second video, saw that Portable was resisting arrest by four policemen who carried and dumped him inside a vehicle.

The video clips had been generating diverse reactions.

While some people condemned Portable for resisting arrest, some others blamed him for ridiculing his status in society by not paying the N14m balance incurred during the purchase of the vehicle.

Portable, after gaining momentum in the music industry, has been embroiled in a series of controversies, some of which have led to his arrest by police authorities.

Sometime in March 2023, the Ogun State Police Command arrested the famous singer for cursing and rough handling some men of the Nigeria Police Force in two video clips that went viral.

The police, during a probe of the incident, invited Portable, who refused to honour the invitation. Enraged by his audacity, the police issued a 72-hour ultimatum and subsequently arrested him.

In another development, Portable was also apprehended by policemen in Ogun State and later charged on five counts bordering on alleged assault and stealing at the Ifo Magistrates’ Court.

He was detained at the Ilaro Correctional Centre and later released after meeting his bail conditions.