Maltreatment Of Seun Kuti By Lagos Police Illegal, Says Senior Lawyer

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, has frowned at the manner and way his client and Afrobeats singer, Seun Kuti, was treated by the Lagos State Police Command when the latter voluntarily turned himself in on Monday.

Seun Kuti had turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja on Monday days after he was seen in a viral video assaulting a policeman in traffic and subsequent order given for his arrest.

The Lagos based senior lawyer, who accompanied the Musician to the Police Command headquarters, fingered the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, for the alleged maltreatment of his client, which he described as illegal since he (the client) is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

In a statement personally signed by him on Monday, Mr Olumide-Fusika, SAN said: “Following his encounter with a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge on Saturday the 13th May, 2023, my client, Mr. Seun Kuti reported himself in the office of the Commissioner of Police at the Police Command, Ikeja, at 8 am today Monday May 15, 2023.

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

“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. David Hundeyin who coordinated the parade and apparently shared the photograph of his parade in the media.

“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.”