UPDATED: Police arrest Portable, to spend 72 hours in detention

Following the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum given to the famous singer Habeeb Okikiola, commonly called Portable, to turn himself in, the Ogun State police command arrested him for refusing to honour the invitation.

Early on Tuesday, two videos of the musician raining curses and rough-handling some men of the Nigeria police surfaced on the internet.

Displeased by the conduct of Mr Okikiola toward the officers, the police gave a 72-hour ultimatum to the singer, a request that should elapse today, Friday.

The police who condemned the singer’s actions also threatened to prosecute him.

In the two videos, Portable claimed that an internet fraudster had brought the police to his bar to arrest staff members “for no reason.”

But the police noted that it acted on a petition.

When contacted over the phone on Friday, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed that the singer had been arrested and currently cooling his feet at the state headquarters of the police in Eleweran, Abeokuta.

Serial offenderMr Oyeyemi further said they arrested Zazu crooner after he refused to honour five invitations.

Premium Times has also gathered that the singer will remain in police custody till Monday when he will appear in court.

When Portable arrived at the police headquarters, he said, ”Zazu biza biza, I am portable, a federal government property. Akoi Tinubu, Akoi APC.”

Just as the Premium Times reporter attempted to speak to the controversial artiste, police officers summoned him into the Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba’s office.

Portable, who was cheerful while going toward the Commissioner of Police’s office, appeared remorseful and almost cried as he made his way out of the office.

He refused to speak with journalists but was overheard saying in Yoruba, “ I was lured here, they want to kill me, what have I done? I never knew those people were police officers.”

Addressing journalists in Eleweran, Mr Abimbola advised up-and-coming artistes to be humble and law-abiding.

He said, “Portable has been arrested; there is a petition against him from a Nigerian studio owner. Portable destroyed the man’s studio and still ordered his boys to beat up the owner. He was beaten black and blue, and that was the basis of the petition in the first instance.

“To this end, an invitation letter was sent to him, not once, not twice, not three times, but he refused to honour the invitation. When he refused to honour the invitation, police officers were sent to effect his arrest, and on getting there, he assaulted the officers. But today, he has been arrested, he is with us, an investigation has commenced, and as soon as we conclude our study, he will be charged to court any moment.

“That you are an artiste or a star does not make you above the law. Nobody is above the law, and the law is no respecter of anybody. If you are an artist, if you are a celebrity or a star of any kind, you must operate within the ambit of the law, and the law will protect you, but when you take impunity as one of the characteristics of being a celebrity, you will have the law enforcement agency to contend with.”