Portable remain wanted regarding his mental health status
The Ogun State Police Command has dismissed assertions made by controversial artist Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, regarding his mental health status he remain wanted. The police maintain that the singer remains wanted in connection with an alleged assault on government officials.
In a video released on Tuesday, Portable claimed to be undergoing psychiatric treatment at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta. This statement was part of his appeal to both Nigerians and the Ogun State Government following the police’s declaration of him as a wanted individual.
However, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Omolola Odutola, has refuted these claims, emphasizing that Portable must present himself for investigation. Odutola stated, “Portable will come and submit himself. He cannot be in the psychiatric hospital in Aro. Everybody knows he is a wanted person. If he is in any facility, the police must be informed. He is a wanted man.”
The controversy began on February 5, 2025, when Portable allegedly led a violent attack against three officials from the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ota Zonal Office. The officials—TPL Onabanjo Abidemi, TPL Raymond Lateef, and TPL Ridwan Oyero Akinlesi—were conducting an enforcement exercise at Oke-Osa, Tigbo Ilu Ota, when they reportedly encountered Portable’s father at Odogwu Bar. After being informed of Portable’s unavailability, the singer allegedly arrived armed, accompanied by nine associates, and assaulted the unarmed officials. The victims sustained injuries but managed to escape, subsequently reporting the incident to the Ota Area Command. The case was then transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
While nine of Portable’s associates were apprehended, the singer reportedly fled and has since remained in hiding. The police issued multiple invitations for him to appear at the command’s headquarters, all of which he allegedly ignored without legal representation. Consequently, the Ogun State Police Command obtained a court order declaring him wanted.
In his defense, Portable has suggested that the allegations are a result of his association with Senator Adeola Solomon, also known as Yayi, who represents Ogun West. He reiterated his claim of having a mental health condition, stating, “I fear government. I am a Federal Government liability. I am a madman and take medications regularly. You can confirm from Aro Hospital—I have a patient card. I am not a thief; I help people.”
Responding to these claims, Damilare Oloyede, the Special Assistant on New Media to Senator Adeola, distanced the lawmaker from Portable’s legal issues. Oloyede remarked, “Portable should be responsible for once. Senator Yayi won’t help him in this predicament—it is purely a result of his irresponsibility, lack of decorum, and display of lunacy (as he himself admitted). Name-dropping won’t help him evade justice.”
The Ogun State Police Command continues to urge the public to provide any information that could lead to Portable’s arrest, emphasizing that anyone found aiding or harboring the suspect will face legal consequences.