A court in Abeokuta has postponed the trial of popular singer Habeeb Okikiola, aka Portable, to March 26 to facilitate the consolidation of his charges alongside those of his employees.
At the resumed hearing of the artiste’s case on Wednesday, following his earlier arraignment on Feb. 20, the prosecution explained to the court that it was not worth going through Portable and his employees’ cases individually.
Mr. Timileyin Oredein, a Senior State Counsel, informed the court that Portable’s case had a related sibling case which should be consolidated before the trial.
Oredein reminded the court that the artiste and nine of his staff were arraigned on the same charges on February 6.
He said it would be a waste of time to try the defendants separately.
Oredein asked the court to give a short time limit for consolidating and replacing the charges.
Portable and his crew were charged with five counts of conspiracy, assault, unlawful obstruction with cutlasses and a gun, and behavior likely to cause a breach of peace.
They were also charged with allegedly assaulting three officials of the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
