Fuji musician Saheed Okunola, otherwise known as Osupa, has withdrawn his case against controversial singer Okikiola “Portable” Badmus after he was remanded in the Oke Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday for character defamation and cyberstalking.

“The management of King (Dr.) Saheed Osupa wishes to inform the general public that the legal action previously instituted against Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has been formally withdrawn on the instruction of Osupa himself,” Mr Saheed’s management said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Kwara State Police Command had on Monday arraigned Portable before a Kwara Upper Area Court on allegations of criminal defamation, criminal intimidation, inciting public disturbance and cyberstalking, but was later granted a bail by Chief Magistrate Sunday Adeniyi.

However, Portable was unable to fulfil the bail conditions, which included N1 million and two sureties, one of whom must be chairman or secretary of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria; the other must own a landed property in Ilorin GRA with a certificate of occupancy and was subsequently remanded in custody.

In the statement, the management of Mr Saheed noted that the case against Portable was not a personal vendetta against the latter but a merited response to Portable’s grave violation of the self-acclaimed Fuji king’s rights.

The statement added, “It is essential to clarify that the legal proceedings were initially initiated by Osupa’s management team in response to what was considered a grave violation of intellectual property rights and an unacceptable pattern of defamation and public misconduct. Hence, the intention was not personal, but to set a precedent that would discourage unruly behaviour and promote responsibility, especially among younger artistes.”

Subsequently, Mr Saheed agreed to withdraw his case against Portable following pleas from prominent Nigerians and upon the singer fulfilling certain multiple conditions, including retracting his false claims against the litigant and signing an undertaking to desist from cyberbullying, defamation, and character assassination of Mr Saheed.