"I do not want to die the way the government killed my mother; my mother lost her life when Olusegun Obasanjo was president and Gbenga Daniel was governor of Ogun State..."
Less than 48 hours after the Ogun State Police Command declared controversial singer Habeeb 'Portable' Okikiola wanted, he has broken his silence.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the 30-year-old singer was declared wanted for allegedly assaulting officials of the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority (OGPDPA).
According to the police, he ignored multiple invitations after nine of his protégés were arrested and arraigned before an Abeokuta Magistrate Court.
Responding to the declaration in a video posted on his Instagram page on Tuesday, the 'Spider-Man' crooner raised the alarm, claiming "he does not want to die the way the government killed his mother."
Speaking from hiding, where he has remained for the past eleven days, Portable further stated that he was psychologically unstable and undergoing medical treatment.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Elizabeth Joyce (@portablebaeby)
The Ogun-born singer said: "I am a child of the government. Yes, I am a madman, but I have been receiving treatment. You can confirm this from the Ogun State Psychiatric Hospital--I am a patient there, and I take prescribed medications. Let the madman be; he knows where he is going. I have been in pain since birth.
"I do not want to die the way the government killed my mother. My mother lost her life when Olusegun Obasanjo was president, and Gbenga Daniel was governor of Ogun State. It happened when the government wanted to construct roads and demolish several houses. My mother stood her ground, and as a result, she was attacked. Now, the same thing is happening to me in Sango."
Help
Additionally, the 'Zazzu Zeh' crooner urged Nigerians to intervene in his ongoing dispute with the government.
He insisted that he had never been rude to the government, emphasising that he always held them in high regard.
This newspaper learned that Portable had appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urge Governor Dapo Abiodun to unseal his building and forgive him.
"Nigerians, this is the time I need your support the most. Nigerians, please help me. You are the ones who invite me for shows, and it is from that money that I bought the properties that the state government has now sealed. Why is it that I only face problems in Nigeria? I'm a musician--not a thief, murderer, or fraudster.
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"To my fans, I am not a bad person. I have never been rude to the government, but I fear them because, after God, they hold the power. Let me tell the truth--what I am facing is a spiritual attack. Some people are attacking me because I bought their houses and lands, but I have yet to complete the payment, and I have not collected the documents", he added.
Background
This newspaper reported that the Ogun Police Command had previously declared Portable wanted for various offences, including threat to life and destruction of property.
His most notable case occurred in June 2022 when he was given a 48-hour ultimatum to surrender to the Ogun Police Command for assaulting a disc jockey.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Omolola Odutola stated that he has now been declared wanted on charges of conspiracy, illegal possession of arms, and attempted murder.
She added that the officers' bodily injuries and Portable's refusal to honour police invitations escalated the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further action.
