Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti was on Monday arrested and handcuffed following his visit to the state police command.
The Lagos police commissioner, Idowu Owohunwa, and other officers turned Seun Kuti's visit to the commissioner's office on Monday into a public spectacle, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti was on Monday arrested and handcuffed following his visit to the state police command.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the musician kept his word that he would cooperate with the police by turning himself in on Monday to cooperate with the investigation into the allegation that he assaulted a policeman as captured in a viral video.
He was however arrested, handcuffed by the police and moved to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti for interrogation.
But SaharaReporters learnt that the police turned the visit made by the musician in company with a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, into a public spectacle, with hundreds of officers taunting and mocking him as he walked by.
Meanwhile, the police commissioner, Owohunwa, was conveniently absent for a large part while this went on.
A source told SaharaReporters that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, one of the lawyers defending Seun had to call the police commissioner to complain about the unruly behaviour of the officers, treatment of his client and prevention of Olumide-Fusika from being present during the musician's interrogation.
SaharaReporters learnt that a cameraman was on hand to take pictures as soon as Seun was handcuffed behind his back while scores of officers continued to mock and threaten him.
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.
In the viral video, Seun is seen involved in a heated argument with the officer who was standing in the middle of a busy road.
Meanwhile, reacting via his Instastory on Saturday, Kuti said the officer attempted to kill him and his family members.
He added that the policeman had apologised and had been forgiven.
Kuti wrote, “He tried to kill me and my family. I have the proof but I no dey chase clout. He has apologised and I have agreed not to press charges. Make una mind una business make the poor guy no lose him job.”
Seun also said he would give the police full cooperation to determine who is wrong.
“I welcome the investigation and will give my full cooperation! I also pray to the IG that whoever is wrong should be indicted,” the musician said in a second Instastory.
But speaking to SaharaReporters, the source lamented that the "Nigeria Police Force in Lagos engaged in an unbelievable spectacle after the Afrobeat musician arrived at the office of the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, accompanied by a senior lawyer, Olumide-Fusika (SAN)".
"You know, Mr. Olumide-Fusika and Femi Falana were to defend Seun Kuti."
But the source learnt that the police commissioner made himself unavailable to the lawyer (Olumide-Fusika) and Seun Kuti so that a proper spectacle could be arranged by the police who had gathered outside the premises of the police command in their hundreds, mostly shouting and taunting Seun from there.
The source narrated, "When the commissioner eventually arrived, he directed Seun to be taken to the “Tactical Command” where the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer Ben Hundeyin was on standby with a police cameraman.
"He ordered Seun to be handcuffed and to remove his shoes and shirt, but Seun refused to take off his shirt, saying his nakedness wasn’t necessary to investigate his crime. The policemen around were hostile towards him, threatening to tear his clothes and strip him naked while several pictures of him were taken from different angles.
"After this spectacle, the police commissioner watched from the balcony of his office while policemen gathered in a convoy and shouted that they would kill Seun if he’d tried it with them.
"They later took him to the SCIID in Panti while shooting sporadically in the air as they departed.
"Upon arriving at Panti, they handcuffed his hand behind his back and told his lawyers they could not enter.
"All the policemen at Panti also came out and became very unruly and hostile towards Seun as they took him to the Deputy Commissioner in Charge of SCIID with his hands behind his back.
"Femi Falana (SAN) then called the police commissioner to complain about the hostile attitude of his officers, stating that lawyers must be allowed to witness the interrogation of Seun as required by law.
"Mr. Olumide-Fusika was again allowed to go in but even in front of the DCP in charge, police officers became even more hostile, forcing him (Olumide-Fusika) to leave Panti unable to see Seun or participate in the investigation proceedings."
At the time of filing this report, SaharaReporters learnt that several police officers at Panti were taking turns to visit Seun while issuing threats and hurling abuses at him as he sat with his hands handcuffed behind his back.