The Lawyer of Afrobeat Singer, Seun Kuti, has condemned the Nigerian Police Force for what he described as the brazen assault on the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law with the parade of his client by the Police on Monday morning after he went to honour Police invitation following his encounter with a Police man on the Third Mainland Bridge at the Weekend.
In a Statement tagged ‘ SEUN KUTI: AN UPDATE’ Olumide Adeyinka-Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria said he accompanied the Afrobeat singer with Femi Akinyemi, another lawyer from the Falana and Falana chambers to the Lagos State Police Command where his picture was taken after bing handcuffed by the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.
He added that the decision to handcuff him is an infringement of his fundamental human rights.
He expressed reservations on the conduct of the Police an institution set up to enforce the law breaking the law so brazenly.
Read Full Statement Below…
SEUN KUTI: AN UPDATE
For immediate release, Monday May 15, 2023
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.
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 misdemeanor alleged against Mr. Seun Kuti.
SGD:
Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN.
