Kuti Refuses To Write Statement, Spends First Night In Detention

Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, did not put down any statement on his first day in detention, according to police sources.

It is normal practise for those under interrogation to write statement while being grilled by detectives.

But the musician, who is currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for assaulting a policeman in Lagos State, insisted on seeing Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), before writing any statement.

Falana had sent Mr. Femi Akinyemi, one of the lawyers in his chambers to represent him when Kuti turned himself in at the Lagos Police Command headquarters, Ikeja, on Monday.

But all through the time he was under interrogation, Seun Kuti refused to put anything in writing as a statement before the police officers.

“He was moved to Panti after hours of interrogation at the command headquarters,” a police source told Daily Trust.

The source added that Kuti might be charged before a Lagos high court on Tuesday.

Earlier, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, who is also a counsel to Kuti, had said he was not allowed to witness the musician’s interrogation.

The lawyer also kicked against the manner in which Kuti was handcuffed while his photographs wee taken.

He had said his client was driven to detention by heavily armed police officers.

“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,” Olumide-Fusiak said in a statement.

Kuti’s travail started after he was captured slapping a policeman whom he had an argument with.

In a video, which went viral at the weekend, Kuti was seen shouting at the policeman, “You dey craze! You dey mad!”

The video had triggered outrage and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, ordered his arrest.

Policemen had stormed the musician’s residence at Allen Avenue in Ikeja to effect his arrest but they did not meet him at home.

On Monday,  accompanied by his lawyer and a family representative, the youngest son of Fela showed up at the Lagos police headquarters.

GWG.ng reports that the refusal by Seun Kuti to put down a statement before the police may be seen as another weird streak from his heritage.

Source: Daily Trust

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