The police in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, had asked the Chief Magistrate of Yaba Court to allow them forcibly draw Seun Kuti’s blood for testing.
Pro-democracy activist Adeola Soetan has condemned the move of Nigeria Police to forcibly take a blood sample from the detained Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti for testing.
The police in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, had asked the Chief Magistrate of Yaba Court to allow them forcibly draw Seun Kuti’s blood for testing.
This comes as the police frantically search for evidence to nail the musician for another crime.
However, Soetan in a statement on Sunday, noted that some officers of the police had been deliberately aggravating the incident following the arrest of Kuti.
He explained that the blood of the key suspects linked to heroin trafficking is not drained by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). He queried why that would apply to Seun who is standing trial for assault and not narcotic trafficking or for smoking marijuana.
Adeola described the development as one of the reasons why the prosecution of cases takes a long time in Nigerian courts.
He, therefore, urged the police to release Seun and stop embarrassing the country instead of “looking for his blood to drain, if they don't know what to do again”.
He said, "Orlando Owoh's blood was never 'drained' for test while in Alagbon police den throughout his trial for drug trafficking. Abba Kyari's blood is not drained by NDLEA despite his heroin connection. Why now Seun who is standing trial for assault and not narcotic trafficking or for smoking Igbo?
"Is that the new prosecution rules of police for assault? Funny, ridiculous and time-wasting. This is one of the reasons cases stay too long in our courts. Police prosecutors and many unscrupulous lawyers come with frivolous applications to delay proceedings and many "My Lords" are readily permissible to such nonsensical legal circus shows in court.
"Ekweremadu's case took only 11 months to complete while Abba Kyari's case is over 15 months now, yet no end in sight. That's if he's not released through government magic and made the next IGP as a ‘Super Cop’ and on the basis of "Aworawo" narcotic solidarity. In Nigeria, anything is possible.”
"Release Seun now instead of looking for his blood to drain if you don't know what to do again and stop embarrassing the country," the statement added.
Seun Kuti was arrested and handcuffed on Monday following his visit to the state police command and the police have continued to keep him in detention.
The musician had kept his word that he would cooperate with the police by turning himself in to cooperate with investigations into the allegation that he assaulted a policeman as captured in a viral video.
SaharaReporters had also reported that Seun Kuti would be unable to attend his concert in Majorca Island, Spain on Saturday following his continued detention.
On Friday, the Lagos State Chief Magistrate in Yaba, Mrs Adeola Olatunbosun, also amended her order and granted the Nigeria Police Force’s request to conduct a drug test on Kuti.
SaharaReporters learnt that the Chief Magistrate inserted a drug test order in her ruling while writing the order.
Family sources however revealed that doctors contacted by the police to obtain Seun Kuti’s blood refused to grant the request of the police authorities, saying they would only take his blood if he voluntarily acceded to it.