POLICE STARVE SEUN KUTI, REFUSE WIFE ACCESS TO HIM - COUNSEL

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By Adeniyi Onaara

Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, a senior Advocate of Nigeria and counsel to troubled music singer Seun Kuti, has raised concern for his client’s well-being following reports that the musician is being malnourished in custody.

In a statement, Kuti’s lawyer lambasted the inquiry into the event undertaken by Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer.

In the same statement, Olumide-Fusika revealed that not only did the police refuse to provide his client with food, but his wife was also refused access to him, leading the music star to go hungry.

He went on to declare that Kuti would respond to Hundeyin’s published “investigative findings” in due time and place, defending himself against any allegations made.

He said, “Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin who goes by the formal title of Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer but doubles as the Investigating Police Officer into the case of alleged assault of a policeman by my client, Mr. Seun Kuti, has issued a Report of his investigative work.

“Mr. Seun Kuti would have expected that after completing his investigation, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, a law enforcer, would follow the law by sending the file containing his investigation report for legal evaluation and possible prosecution.”

Mr. Seun Kuti is not surprised, however, that Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin chose to make his investigative report the subject of media publication, as in the Punch online publication titled “Assault: Seun Kuti apologised, gave cop 12,000 to repair the vehicle, police say” on Monday, May 15, 2023.

According to Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin’s investigative report, which was given to The Punch, “Seun Kuti was the one who bashed the officer’s vehicle, and the policeman followed him to draw his attention to it, but the musician alighted from his car and slapped the policeman as seen in the trending video. However, the officer reported the incident at the Police Command in Ikeja.’’

“The cop was by himself. He followed Seun Kuti to his home in Ikeja after the confrontation, and the artist apologized to the officer and offered him $12,000 to rebuild his damaged vehicle. However, the officer reported the event to Area F Police Command in Ikeja and deposited the 12,000 at the counter while providing a written statement about the incident.”

Although he had been with the Police since 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023, Mr. Seun Kuti notes that he was asked to make a statement to the Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, around 8:00 p.m. that day, after Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin had already completed and published his investigative report above.

“Mr. Seun Kuti has thus volunteered to his interlocutors a statement to the effect that since Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin has already done the investigation and issued and published his report on it, any statement from him would serve no useful purpose.”

He will defend himself against Mr. Hundeyin’s publicized ‘investigative findings’ at the appropriate time and place, and in the most rigorous manner permitted by law.As a result, Mr. Seun Kuti’s wife was denied the “privilege” of delivering a dinner to him, despite the fact that there was no alternative plan in place to feed him.

We await the Police’s next step on the criminal allegation against Mr. Seun Kuti.”

Recall that Seun Kuti was arrested and handcuffed on Monday following his visit to the state police command.