By Adesina Soyooye
Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, Counsel to detained Afro Beat Musician, Seun Kuti, has described as illegal the handcuffs put on his Client at the Headquarters of the Lagos Police Command.
He, also, decried that the Police, according to him, paraded Seun in handcuffs before the Media.
Kuti got into trouble when, on Saturday, he brazenly pushed and slapped a Police Officer who was on duty. The incident happened along the third mainland bridge, Lagos.
Kuti’s embarrassing action was greeted by outrage across the country when the video went viral.
In reaction to the incident, the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba, ordered the Commissioner of Police, Lagos, to immediately arrest Kuti, investigate the incident, and prosecute him for slapping a Policeman who was not only on duty, but in his Police unform.
Commending the IGP for his prompt action, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr Solomon Arase, IGP rtd, condemned Kuti’s behaviour and said he should be urgently prosecuted for daring to assault a Police officer on duty and in uniform.
On Monday, Kuti, who went out of circulation since after the IGP’s order, and the threat to issue a bench warrant on him, submitted himself to the Police in the morning. The Police quickly put him in handcuffs and detained him.
But Kuti’s Lawyer, Olumide-Fusika, condemned the handcuffs put on his Client, and said it was against the law. He said Kuti should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty in a Law Court.
Counsel: “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.”
He also condemned the decision of the Police to parade Kuti before the Media.
He said: “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.”
Hereunder is Olumide-Fusika’s full statement issued on Monday after Kuti had been taken into custody.
“Following his encounter with a policeman on 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.”
After investigation, Kuti is expected to be prosecuted in Court.
