New Anxiety Over Seun Kuti As Police Defend Handcuffs

Amid anxiety from family and friends over suggestions that Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti could be further detained, the Police have justified the decision to handcuff him during his appearance in public.

The police have also denied claims that he was paraded before the public.

GWG.ng reports that the denial from the police came following claims by his lawyers that the musician who is being tried for allegedly slapping a policeman had been paraded in handcuffs around some police stations in Lagos.

A statement by the Head of Chambers for the Nigeria Police, DCP Simon Lough, SAN, said:

“Seun Kuti was not paraded as erroneously alleged by his lawyers. It was his photograph, fingerprints, name and address that were taken as provided for in the law. It has become imperative to correct some misrepresentations being circulated on social media solely to garner sympathy from the public and to divert attention from the fact issue.

“First of all, there is no law that prohibits the use of handcuffs to restrain a suspect, especially a suspect that has shown a tendency to violence. Secondly, section 10(4) of Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State allows the taking of photographs of suspects arrested for identification and record purpose”.

The response from the police is against fears by family and friends of the detained musician that the police could further ask for an extension on his detention following the four-day extension granted the police last week.

Seun Kuti was arrested a week ago following penultimate weekend incident captured on video that saw him slapping and assaulting a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos and brought to Lagos on handcuff.

The Inspector General of Police had following the viral clip asked that he should be arrested but the musician gave himself up last Monday where he was nabbed. The court had last Thursday extended his remand to Monday, May 22.

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