LAGOS – A Canada-based Nigerian medical expert, Arinze Onwumelu, has called on singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, to undergo an urgent brain examination following his recent boxing match.
The advice follows the Zazuu singer’s defeat in a celebrity boxing bout against skit maker Carter Efe in Lagos over the weekend. The fight, which has since gone viral, showed Portable receiving several heavy blows to the head.
Dr Onwumelu, also known as Dr Zo, raised the alarm in a video shared on Monday, recommending a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to rule out internal injuries. He expressed worry that the punches landed by Carter Efe could cause a serious condition known as subdural haematoma.
“Anybody who knows Portable should take him to the hospital for an MRI and a brain test; there may be an artery that might have been damaged,” the doctor warned.
He noted that while the match was meant for entertainment, the force used was excessive. He also questioned whether the participants were properly briefed on the rules of an exhibition fight.
The physician further called on the organisers of celebrity sports to make the use of protective headgear compulsory to ensure participants’ safety.
Portable, who had previously won matches against rapper Speed Darlington and actor Charles Okocha, was confident before the fight.
