Lawyer Gives New Light On Why Seun Kuti Is Keeping Mum In Detention

Seun Kuti’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN has opened up on why his client has remained mum and refused to aver a statement on the altercation between him and a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge that led to his incarceration on Monday.

Olumide-Fusika, who is from Chief Femi Falana’s law firm in a statement on Tuesday also disclosed that Seun Kuti was starved of food as his wife was not allowed to see him on Monday to give him food.

In the statement obtained by GWG.ng averred that Seun Kuti has decided to keep mum following the statement to The Punch by Lagos Police spokesman, Ben Hundeyin that Kuti apologized to the policeman and gave him N12,000 to repair his vehicle.

The lawyer said that Seun Kuti would remain mum and “at the right time and place” defend himself against Hundeyin’s published “investigative findings.”

He said, “Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin who goes by the formal title of Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, but apparently doubles as the Investigating Police Officer into the case of alleged assault of a policeman by my client, Mr. Seun Kuti, has issued a Report of his investigative work.

“Mr. Seun Kuti would have expected that having completed his investigative work, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, a law enforcer, would proceed according to law by sending the file containing his report of investigation for legal evaluation towards possible prosecution.

“Mr. Seun Kuti is nevertheless not surprised that Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin chose instead to make his investigative report the subject of the media publication, as for instance, in the Punch online publication of Monday, May 15, 2023, titled ‘Assault: Seun Kuti apologised, gave cop ₦‎12,000 to repair vehicle, police say’.

“According to Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, in his investigative report handed over to The Punch, ‘Seun Kuti was the one that bashed the officer’s vehicle, and the policeman followed him to call his attention to it, but the musician alighted from his car and slapped the policeman as seen in the trending video. However, the officer reported the incident at the Police Command in Ikeja.’

“The policeman was alone. After the altercation, he followed Seun Kuti to his home in Ikeja, and the musician apologised to the policeman and gave him ₦12,000 to repair his damaged vehicle. But the officer reported the incident at the Area F Police Command in Ikeja, and deposited the ₦12,000 at the counter while he gave a written statement concerning the incident.’

“Although he had been with the Police since 8:00 am on Monday 15th May 2023, Mr. Seun Kuti notes that it was at about 8:00 pm that day, after Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin had already completed and published his investigative report above, that he was asked to make a statement to the Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.

“Mr. Seun Kuti has therefore volunteered to his interlocutors a statement to the effect that since Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin has already done the investigation and issued and published his report on it, there was no useful purpose to be served by any statement from him. He will, at the right time and place, and in as rigorous a manner possible under the law, defend himself against Mr. Hundeyin’s published ‘investigative findings’.

“The consequence of this for Mr. Seun Kuti was that his wife was refused the “privilege” of delivering a meal to him, even though there was no other arrangement in place to have him fed. We await the next move of the Police on the allegation of crime against Mr. Seun Kuti,” the lawyer said on why his client has remained mum in detention.

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