Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has called on the government to ban prank videos after an altercation involving him at the Port Harcourt International Airport went viral.
The viral clip shows Portable in beige attire attempting to confront an unidentified individual as airport security personnel and bystanders try to restrain him amid a chaotic scene. The 53-second footage captures shoving, shouting, and confusion, with one person seen barefoot and another wielding what appears to be a belt.
Reacting in a video posted on his Instagram page on Monday, Portable claimed he was attacked by “death pranksters”, individuals who stage fake death scenes for social media content.
Speaking in a mix of English and Yoruba, he said the incident nearly escalated into violence, adding that the pranksters were attempting to tarnish his reputation.
He wrote, “Make Government stop all those Prankers and some fake Bloggers. Make them stop all this fake news post just because of small fame. Why una dey spoil person wey get glory name with una platforms?”
The “Zazu Zeh” crooner, who has a history of controversial public outbursts, maintained that he acted in self-defense and called for stricter regulation of online prank content.