Following his arraignment on numerous charges, including criminal defamation, cyberstalking, and inciting public disturbance, an Upper Area Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Monday granted controversial street-pop singer, Portable, bail worth $ 1 million.
The bail is contingent upon the payment of a similar sum by two sureties.
One surety must be either the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), as stated by the court, and the other must have property in Ilorin’s Government Reserved Area (GRA), as evidenced by a current Certificate of Occupancy.
The singer, 31, is still being held in Ilorin’s Oke Kura Correctional Centre as of press time because she broke the strict bail conditions.
Read more about the police’s arrest of a portable over alleged defamation of Fuji Star Osupa.
The allegations come from a petition filed by veteran Fuji artist Okunola Saheed, known as Saheed Osupa, who claimed Portable insulted him during a live Instagram broadcast on March 19, 2025.
arrest, and defamation
The “Zazoo Zeh” singer-songwriter said, “This man dey try bring down my shine!” in the contentious video. He has no sense; he be like the person who wey chop a snail with a shell. Osupa’s stomach is covered in a tortoise. When Spotify and Apple Music want to pay me money, they remove my song from the platform and make me no more see money.
Portable’s comments were defamatory, damaging to his reputation, and intended to stir up public hostility and disturb peace, according to Osupa. The State Intelligence Department launched an investigation in response to the petition dated March 21, 2025.
According to a report from Channels Television, Police spokesman SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed in a statement that Portable was detained on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at around 7:25 p.m. He was later transferred to Ilorin for further investigation.
According to Ejire-Adeyemi, “the command obtained a valid arrest warrant from a Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin” in light of the weight of these allegations and the supporting evidence presented.
The suspect’s statement was read out in front of legal representatives from both parties when he arrived.
First Information Report (FIR) 117 (1) CPC provides documentation for the case. Criminal offenses against Portable include inciting disturbance (Section 114), criminal intimidation (Section 397), and defamation (Section 392 of the Penal Code). Cybercrimes are covered in the following sections: Prevention, Interdiction, etc. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2020, and Act, 2015, were also mentioned.
The investigating officer, ASP Adeniyi James, confirmed that the charges were brought on the basis of police orders.
The case was adjourned until April 30 by the presiding magistrate, Sunday Adeniyi, and gave a warning to all parties to maintain decorum as the case progressed.
Portable’s legal first legal encounter this year is not unlike this. After being detained on suspicion of assaulting government officials and obstructing their duties, he was released on bail in Ogun State a month ago.
Copyright Remedies by Saheed Osupa
The dispute between Portable and Osupa also touches on copyright issues, aside from the allegations of defamation. After the 55-year-old reported Fuji Shakushaku, one of Portable’s tracks, for copyright infringement, the conflict grew.
The song, which was released in 2023, was later removed from Apple Music and other streaming services.
In response, Portable criticized the Fuji veteran by calling him “big for nothing” in a number of videos.
Later, the controversial singer publicly apologised for his outburst of anger over the song’s removal and subsequent financial losses.
On March 27, Fountain Osupa’s management, who is represented by Digital Music Commerce and Exchange Ltd. (DMCE), released a statement via Fountain Osupa’s official Instagram page.
The statement read, “We cannot stand idly by while King Saheed Osupa is being disrespected.” The unauthorised use of King Osupa’s music by a number of artists was discovered by DMCE. One person engaged in cyberbullying, attacks, and reputational harm while the majority of the cases were resolved peacefully.
The management reiterated that Osupa has an agreement with Sony Music Publishing Nigeria and that DMCE is authorized to represent him in protecting his intellectual property.
In recent years, Portable has participated in a number of police and court cases. He allegedly attacked a man in Ogun State in 2023, and he was charged with assault and theft. He was detained in Lagos in 2024 after allegedly failing to pay the full price for a car, which caused a debt dispute with a car dealer. After complying with the bail conditions, he was released.
