Here is a look at five Nigerian celebrities and why they were arrested this year.
Nigerian singer, Portable, has made headlines after videos of him being arrested by the police went viral.
Unfortunately, he is not the only star who has had a run-in with the law within the first five months of this year.
Nigerian celebrities arrested in 2024
Here is a rundown of why they were arrested and what happened after:
1. Portable
Habeeb Okikiola aka Portable has become a trending topic after being arrested on May 14, 2024, over a debt he incurred after buying a ₦27 million G-Wagon from a car dealer.
Videos circulating across social media platforms show Portable being spoken to by policemen who read his warrant out to him, right before he swiftly leapt over a gate and ran away.
The second video showed the moment he resisted after being apprehended by the policemen who carried him to the patrol vehicle.
The reports were confirmed by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who said, “Yes, Portable has been arrested. He bought G-Wagon for ₦27m, paid ₦13m, and refused to pay the rest, claiming the vehicle was bad. We arrested him today.”
2. Cynthia Morgan
Singer Cynthia Morgan was also arrested on May 13 and has been accused of stalking and harassing the Benin crown prince, Ezelekhae Ewuare.
According to the Punch Newspaper, Cynthia has 10 allegations levied against her including defamation, cyberstalking, harassment, threats, and invasion of privacy.
3. Bobrisky
Popular transgender socialite Idris Okuneye, fondly known as Bobrisky, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April 3, for abusing the naira.
According to the anti-graft agency, Bobrisky was arrested for spraying new naira notes at four separate events over the past year. The influencer pleaded guilty in court and was sentenced to six months in prison without the option of paying a fine.
4. Cubana Chief Priest
In April, popular influencer, Cubana Chief Priest was also arrested by the EFCC for abusing the naira. However, unlike Bobrisky, he pleaded “not guilty” when facing the court and was granted ₦10 million bail with two sureties in like sum.
When proceedings resumed on the case on May 2, his lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), informed the court that his client had opted to settle the case out of court.
5. Amal Umar
Popular Kannywod actress, Amal Umar, was also arrested this year. According to the BBC in March, Police claimed Umar gave an officer ₦250,000 (£137, $175) to have her impounded car released.
Her lawyer, Adama Usman, denied the charges stating that the policeman was the one who asked her for money in exchange for her car.
“She gave our officer ₦250,000 with a promise to bring more money,” Kano police spokesman, Bashir Muhammad, told the BBC.
Her lawyer said, “On this case of attempted bribery they are claiming, we are going to pursue it to the end because she was called to come and collect her car only for things to change.”
Umar was subsequently released on bail