Fuji star, Okunola Saheed, popularly known as Saheed Osupa, has decided to discontinue the legal case he earlier filed against controversial singer Habeeb Okikiola, better known in the entertainment world as Portable.
The legal representative of Osupa, Barrister Ahmed Opalekunde, confirmed to The PUNCH on Tuesday that the suit had officially been withdrawn from the Upper Area Court 1 of the High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State.
According to him, this decision was taken after several notable figures in the entertainment industry and respected individuals in society reached out to help settle the dispute amicably.
The case, which was filed by the Kwara State Police Command on Monday, had accused Portable of various serious offences, including cyberstalking, criminal defamation, criminal intimidation, and inciting public disturbance.
These alleged acts were said to violate multiple sections of the Nigerian Penal Code, the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of 2020.
The origin of the case stemmed from a petition Osupa submitted, in which he claimed that Portable had used a live Instagram video to insult and spread false information about him.
According to the petition, Portable accused Osupa of removing his music from streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. Osupa argued that this act not only damaged his public image but also posed a threat to his potential income.
In the video, Portable was quoted saying, “This man dey try to bring down my shine! He be like person wey dey chop snail with shell—him no get sense. Osupa na tortoise. When Apple Music and Spotify wan drop money for me, na him remove my song from platform make I no see money.”
Osupa described the video as deeply offensive, noting it stirred up tension among fans and painted him in a bad light. He initially took the matter to court hoping for justice, but later decided to back down in the interest of peace.
In a formal letter submitted to the court, Osupa’s lawyer stated that the case had been resolved peacefully, following the plea of music industry stakeholders. He requested that the court officially end the case and advise Portable to avoid repeating similar actions in the future.
The letter noted, “It’s our client’s (nominal complainant) instruction that the stakeholders in the music industry and other notable personalities in the society have intervened in the matter and pleaded to the nominal complainant to withdraw the case against the defendant in the interest of public peace.”
The letter also added a warning to Portable, asking the court to caution him against making any further statements or posts that could tarnish Osupa’s image or business.
Before the case was withdrawn, Chief Magistrate Sunday Adeniyi had earlier granted Portable bail set at N1 million with two sureties.
One of the sureties was required to be a chairman within the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), and the other needed to own property within a government-reserved area in the court’s jurisdiction.
