An upper area court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has granted controversial singer Portable bail in the sum of N1 million following his arrest on Saturday. The ‘Zazoo Zeh’ hitmaker faced multiple allegations, including criminal defamation, threat to life, incitement, and character assassination against fellow musician Saheed Osupa.
The charges stemmed from a petition filed by Osupa, who accused Portable of using abusive language that could potentially incite violence and damage his reputation. This led to the singer’s arrest over the weekend.
On Monday, the court ruled in favor of granting Portable bail, though it came with certain conditions. He was ordered to provide two sureties, each responsible for a sum equivalent to N1 million. One of the sureties must be a senior member of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), either the chairman or the secretary, while the other must own landed property within a government reserved area, supported by a valid certificate of occupancy (C of O).
Isaac Adebayo, Portable’s legal representative, confirmed that the bail was granted after an oral application. Despite the stringent conditions, Adebayo expressed confidence that they would meet the requirements. “Though the condition is a bit stringent, we will meet up. He was asked to provide the Kwara State Chairman of PMAN as a surety, another person with a landed property in GRA, and one million naira in like sum,” Adebayo said.
The tension between the two musicians dates back to last month when Portable’s song was removed from streaming platforms Apple Music and Spotify due to a copyright infringement. Portable had allegedly used a line closely associated with Osupa’s style, prompting Osupa’s team to file a complaint.
This triggered a public feud, with Portable initially attacking Osupa online, calling him “big for nothing.” The backlash was swift on social media, and Portable later issued an apology, attributing his outburst to his temper.
