… risks three-year jail term
Police in Lagos, on Monday, arrested Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, and detained him at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, over an alleged assault on a police officer on Saturday.
Seun was in company with a lawyer representing Falana and Falana Chambers, the law firm of popular human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN.
A video clip and pictures showing the musician in handcuffs while being paraded by police officers at the SCID, Lagos, have gone viral.
On Saturday, a viral video of Seun Kuti assaulting a police officer on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State hit the social media.
Following this development, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, ordered the arrest of the singer.
The police boss also ordered a speedy and full investigation into the remote and immediate cause(s) of the alleged assault and prosecution of the suspect accordingly.
But the musician, on Saturday night, in a social media post, accused the concerned police officer of an attempt to kill him and his family members.
But following the IGP’s order for his arrest,Seun, in another Instagram post, said, “I welcome the investigation and will give my full cooperation! I also pray to the IG that whoever is wrong should be indicted.”
…risks three-year jail term
Section 356 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act states that anyone found guilty of assaulting a police officer is liable to spend three years in prison.
According to the Act, “Anyone who assaults, resists, or willfully obstructs a police officer while acting in the execution of his duty, or any person acting in aid of a police officer while so acting is guilty of felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.”
A 12-second video clip which went viral on Saturday had shown Seun, dressed in a red shirt and white pair of trousers, pushing a policeman standing beside a Toyota Hilux police van. He then slapped the policeman, shouting, “You dey craze, you dey mad?”
A motorist recorded the incident from his car and later uploaded it on social media.