Portable: “It is fundamentally a contractual issue, not a criminal one” — law lecturer condemns arrest of controversial artiste

Misbau Alamu Lateef, a law lecturer at the University of Hull, has strongly criticized the arrest of Habeeb Okikiola, widely known as Portable, by the Lagos State Police Command.

The hip-hop artiste was apprehended on Tuesday due to an unresolved dispute over a luxury vehicle purchase.

According to reports, Portable allegedly failed to settle the outstanding balance of N14 million after purchasing a G-Wagon valued at N27 million from a car dealer in Lagos. It is alleged that Portable paid an initial sum of N13 million and subsequently refused to pay the remaining balance, citing issues with the vehicle’s condition.

In reaction to Portable’s arrest, Misbau Alamu Lateef condemned the involvement of law enforcement in what he described as a contractual disagreement.

Lateef expressed concerns over the police treating a civil matter as a criminal offense, emphasizing that the dispute should be resolved through legal means rather than police intervention.

In a statement, Lateef underscored the importance of upholding legal principles and protecting individuals from undue criminalization in contractual disputes.

He urged Portable to seek competent legal representation to challenge the police actions and address the underlying contractual issues effectively.

“The police are clearly overstepping their bounds in this case,” Lateef remarked. “This is fundamentally a contractual issue, not a criminal one. Portable’s alleged failure to fulfill contractual obligations should not warrant a criminal arrest.”

Lateef advised Portable to focus on challenging the police and the car dealer through legal channels, highlighting the need to address the unlawfulness of turning civil disputes into criminal matters.