Rights Group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, has called for an impartial investigation and prosecution of Seun Kuti, son of late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, following his arrest by the Police.
Seun was Tuesday afternoon, arraigned by the Lagos State Police Command before Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun of a Magistrate’s court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State.
He was charged with assault on a police officer, an offense contrary to Section 356 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act.
The Afrobeat musician’s travails started when in a viral video that emerged last Saturday, he was seen assaulting a police officer on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State.
After police raided his house but could not find him, Seun later turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja on Monday, following an order for his arrest by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.
He was later transferred to the state’s Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos.
Reacting to the whole incident, the Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma said the law prohibit assault on police operatives.
According to him, the action by the Afrobeat musician is unjustifiable and inexcusable, and he should be made to face the law.
He however noted that since Seun claimed that the police operative in question wanted to kill him, the Police should impartially and exhaustively investigate the case, so as to unravel the full facts under cover.
“Section 98 of the Police Act 2020 states that any person who assaults, obstructs or resists a police officer in the discharge of his duty, or aids or incites any other person to assault, obstruct or resist a police officer or other person aiding or assisting the police officer in the discharge of his duty, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine ofN500,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months or both.
“Section 99 states that where a person is called upon to aid and assist a police officer who is, while in the discharge of his duty, assaulted or resisted or in danger of being assaulted or resisted, and the person refuses or neglects to aid and assist, the person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N I 00,000 or imprisonment for a term of three months or both.
“By the foregoing, Seun’s action is not justifiable and the police must investigate it thoroughly and take appropriate actions in line with the findings and the law,” he said.
Nwanguma however harped on the need for the police not to be vindictive and to allow the process of investigation and prosecution follow the established guidelines.
“Our take is that Seun’s action is unjustifiable and inexcusable.
“But there are legally established procedures and safeguards for dealing with suspects of crime.
“Police is a higher calling and cannot descend to the level of the same suspects they have arrested for a crime.
“They should not act with vengeance.
“They should not go outside the law to enforce the law,” the RULAAC boss posited.
