Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, the lawyer to Seun Kuti, musician and son of Afrobeat Legend, Fela Kuti, has criticised the Lagos State Police Command’s public arraignment of his client in handcuffs.
Recall that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, had ordered Seun’s arrest after a video of the musician assaulting a policeman surfaced online.
Pictures of Seun arrested and handcuffed surfaced online Monday. According to the Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, the Afrobeat musician has been taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, in Panti for further investigation and possible detention.
Speaking on the matter, Olumide-Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in a statement he issued on Monday described the public parade of Seun Kuti as an infringement on his fundamental rights.
Olumide-Fusika SAN argued that the police erred in the way they treated his client, insisting that Seun Kuti is still presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The statement read: “Following his encounter with a policeman on the 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.
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“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 misdemeanour alleged against Mr. Seun Kuti”.
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