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Saheed Osupa withdraws defamation case against Portable
Veteran Fuji icon Akorede Babatunde Okunola—popularly known as Saheed Osupa—has officially dropped the legal case filed against controversial Afrobeats singer Habeeb Okikiola, aka Portable.
This development comes after Portable was remanded at the Oke Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin for failing to meet the bail conditions set by an Upper Area Court in Kwara State on Monday, April 14.
The embattled 31-year-old singer had been granted bail to the tune of ₦1 million, contingent upon two sureties. One surety must be either the chairman or secretary of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, while the second must own a landed property in a Government Reserved Area (GRA), backed by a valid Certificate of Occupancy.
Portable’s arrest on Sunday, April 13, stemmed from a petition filed by Osupa, who accused him of criminal defamation, life-threatening remarks, incitement, character assassination, and behaviour likely to disturb public peace.
In a newly released statement, Osupa’s legal team announced the withdrawal of the charges, explaining that the initial lawsuit was not personal but a response to what they deemed as repeated defamation, intellectual property infringement, and public misconduct by Portable.
According to the statement, the lawsuit was meant to set a clear example about professionalism and boundaries in the industry—especially for up-and-coming artists.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Osupa’s team said the decision to drop the case was inspired by a spirit of compassion, with the hope that this episode might mark a turning point in Portable’s behavior and career.
However, the withdrawal comes with conditions. Portable is expected to publicly retract his statements, admit to making false claims, and sign a formal undertaking to prevent future incidents.
