In a dramatic turn of events, Seun Kuti, the son of the legendary musician Fela Kuti, turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Headquarters in Ikeja yesterday. He has since been detained at the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID) in Yaba, Lagos, formerly known as Panti.
Seun arrived at the Police State Command around 8 a.m., where he was promptly taken into custody and handcuffed. After spending approximately two hours at the command headquarters, he was transferred to the SCIID at around 10 a.m.
Upon his arrival at the SCIID, Seun was escorted in handcuffs to the D13 department for interrogation by detectives. Despite being asked to provide a statement, he declined, opting instead to wait for his lawyer to arrive.
As of 6:40 p.m. yesterday, Seun remained detained in one of the cells on the ground floor of the two-story building at the SCIID.
However, Seun’s lawyers have alleged that the police violated Section 9 of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, which prohibits the public parade of criminal suspects in Lagos State, by parading Seun before the media.
The arrest of Seun Kuti came after a video of him assaulting a policeman on the Third Mainland bridge went viral last Saturday. Following the video’s circulation, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Alkali Baba, directed the Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, Idowu Owohunwa, to arrest Seun.
Efforts to apprehend Seun at his residence had proven unsuccessful, prompting a senior police officer from the Command to personally contact him via phone on Sunday evening, inviting him to report to the command.
At the SCIID, it was revealed that only one lawyer would be allowed to stay with Seun during the interrogation, given that it was not a court session.
Seun’s impending charges are expected to include assault and battery. A police source confirmed that he was still in custody and that it was necessary for him to provide a statement before formal charges could be filed.
Throughout his detention, Seun has refused to eat and has only requested water. His wife and son visited him at the SCIID, with his wife offering him food, which he declined.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hudenyin, confirmed Seun’s arrest and stated that he had been placed under arrest in accordance with the law. Hudenyin assured the public that the investigation would be thorough, transparent, and professional, and that justice would be served.
Seun’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, expressed discontent with the treatment his client received from the police. Olumide-Fusika criticized the decision to parade Seun before the media, citing a violation of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law. He further criticized the decision to handcuff Seun, which he deemed illegal.
Seun’s manager, Moses Ayo, defended his actions, claiming that the assault on the police officer was provoked by an earlier incident where a police truck hit Seun’s vehicle from behind. According to Ayo, the officer involved in the collision refused to apologize and engaged in an argument with Seun, leading to the altercation.
Notably, a second video surfaced in which Seun claimed to have assaulted multiple policemen in self-defense, alleging that they had threatened to kill him and his family.
Public opinion on Seun’s arrest has been divided. While some individuals supported the police
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