… To be charged for assault, battery

… Seun refuses to eat

Son of music legend, late Fela Kuti, Seun, who turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Headquarters, Ikeja, yesterday, has been detained at the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, SCIID, Yaba, Lagos, former Panti.

Seun arrived the Police State Command about 8a.m. He was taken into custody and hand-cuffed. He spent about two hours at the command headquarters before he was moved to SCIID around 10a.m.

He arrived SCIID in handcuff and Vanguard gathered that he was ushered to D13, one of the departments at the SCIID to be interrogated by detectives. He was asked to write his statement, which he declined, preferring to wait for the arrival of his lawyer.

Vanguard gathered that at 6.40p.m., yesterday, Seun was still being detained in one of the cells on the ground floor of the two-storey building.

Meanwhile, his lawyers alleged that Seun was paraded by the police in violation of Section 9 of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, which had prohibited any form of parade of criminal suspects in Nigeria in Lagos State.

Recall that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Alkali Baba had ordered the Commissioner of Police , Lagos State Command, Idowu Owohunwa to arrest Seun, after a video of him assaulting a policeman on the Third Mainland bridge went viral last Saturday.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Police Detain Seun Kuti In Lagos

It was gathered that a senior police officer at the Command personally contacted Seun on his mobile phone, on Sunday evening , inviting him to report at the command, after efforts by a team of policemen, who visited his home to effect his arrest failed.

At the SCIID, after Seun was moved to D13, it was learnt that detectives requested that only one lawyer would be admitted to stay with him in the interrogation room.

To be charged for assault, battery

A source told Vanguard, about 5p.m., yesterday, that “He is still in the cell. He refused to write statement and the lawyers that came with him refused to go back. They were told that only one lawyer would be allowed to stay with him, since it was not a court session. The case will be charged to court. But he needs to put down his statement first. He will be charged for assault and battery.”

Seun refuses to eat

At noon, Seun’s wife and son visited him at the SCIID. His wife as gathered requested for what he would eat. But he declined eating any food, but requested for water.

Why he was handcuffed

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hudenyin, confirmed Seun’s arrest on his verified tweeter handle .

He said: “Afrobeat musician, Seun JKuti in the early hours of today, turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command, Lagos State, in the company of his lawyer and family representative.

READ ALSO: Video Of Seun Kuti Boasting ‘I Slapped Many Policemen’ Resurfaces Online [WATCH]

“He has been placed under arrest , in line with the law. The command appreciates the public for their concern and assured that the ongoing investigation will be detailed ,transparent , professionally pursued and justice will be manifestly served for all parties involved.”

Explaining why he was handcuffed, Hundeyin said: “He was handcuffed because the law empowers us to place on cuffs any suspect who has shown propensity for violence and propensity for evading justice.”

Lawyer reacts

However, Seun’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, frowned at the way his client was treated by the Police.

Olumide-Fusika in a statement, yesterday, said: “Following his encounter with a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge on May 13, 2023, my client, Mr. Seun Kuti reported himself in the office of the Commissioner of Police at the Police Command, Ikeja, at 8am today (yesterday).

“I accompanied him to the Ikeja Police station together with another lawyer, Mr. Femi Akinyemi from Falana and Falana chambers.”

Police paraded Seun —Lawyer

“However, there was no interrogation as it was decided he would be moved to the Force Criminal Investigation Unit at Panti, Yaba. Before his movement, Mr. Seun Kuti, was handcuffed and his photograph taken in the open by the Lagos PPRO, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, who coordinated the parade and apparently shared the photograph of his parade in the media.

READ ALSO: Assault: Falana To Defend Seun-Kuti, Singer May turn Self In Monday

“Mr. Kuti is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved by the state. Therefore, the decision of the police to subject him to the media parade violates section 9 of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, which has prohibited any form of parade of criminal suspects in Nigeria in Lagos State.

“The Police is supposed to enforce the law, but prefers to disrespect and break it so casually and randomly. A Police institution that has no respect for the law it exists to enforce is not a good example to alleged law breakers.

“The decision of the police to handcuff Mr. Kuti is equally illegal as it constitutes a violation of Section 5 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

“After handcuffing him, the Police then drove him in a long convoy of heavily armed personnel from Ikeja to Panti Lagos, where he was again displayed for viewing to the men and officers of that police formation and is currently held. We await the next move of the Police on the misdemeanor alleged against Mr. Seun Kuti.”

VANGUARD