Court postpones Portable’s assault case

An Abeokuta Magistrate’s Court in Ogun State’s capital has deferred the assault case involving singer Habeeb Okikiola, known as Portable, until March 26.

IDOMA VOICE reports that the postponement will allow the prosecution to consolidate charges against Portable and his employees.

During the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, following Portable’s initial arraignment on February 20, 2025, the prosecution argued that separate trials for Portable and his employees would be inefficient.

Senior State Counsel Timilehin Oredein explained that Portable’s case is linked to another case that requires consolidation before the trial can commence.

He noted that both the musician and nine of his employees had already been arraigned on February 6, 2025, on related charges.

Oredein stressed that trying the defendants separately would waste judicial resources and requested the court to schedule a brief session to merge and substitute the charges.

Portable and his employees face five counts, including conspiracy, assault, and unlawful obstruction while armed with cutlasses and a firearm, in actions considered likely to disturb public peace. They are also accused of assaulting three officials from the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.