Popular Fuji musician, Saheed Akorede, widely known as Saheed Osupa, has once again stepped in to prevent the re-arrest of controversial singer Habeeb Okikiola, aka Portable, following a fresh petition accusing him of collecting N6.3 million for a performance he allegedly failed to deliver.
This development comes just hours after Osupa withdrew his own petition against Portable on Tuesday, following appeals from influential Nigerians to resolve the matter amicably.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Yemi George, Managing Director of Starwood Hotels Ilorin, revealed that despite having obtained legal backing to re-arrest the singer over the alleged breach of contract, he held back at Osupa’s request.
“I had every document in place to effect Portable’s re-arrest and recover our money, but out of deep respect for Saheed Osupa, I decided to hold off,” George said.
According to him, Portable was paid N6.3 million for a performance at the ‘Kwara TAMPAN Fiesta’ on September 29, 2024—an event jointly organised by Starwood Hotels O2 Arena and the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN). However, the singer reportedly failed to appear on stage despite arriving in Ilorin over 16 hours late.
The petition, titled “Petition for Fraudulent and Obtaining by False Pretence of the Sum of N6.3 Million”, alleges that Portable left his hotel without fulfilling his contractual obligations, leading to severe financial loss and reputational damage for the organisers.
The document was signed by Chief Olu Amusan, Governor of TAMPAN, and Ayodele Demokun on behalf of Starwood Hotels O2 Arena. The petitioners are demanding a full investigation, prosecution, and refund of the funds allegedly obtained under false pretences.
This follows Portable’s earlier arrest by the Kwara State Police Command over a separate petition filed by Osupa, which alleged criminal defamation, incitement, threat to life, and conduct capable of breaching public peace. The police confirmed his arrest in a statement issued on Sunday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi.
While Osupa has now dropped his complaint, this latest allegation could reignite legal troubles for the singer—unless an out-of-court resolution is once again pursued.
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