Entertainment

Seun Kuti Apologizes and Pays Policeman #12,000 to Repair Vehicle After Assault

Written by maxfmeditor3 on May 15, 2023

Seun Kuti Apologizes and Pays Policeman

Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti was arrested on Monday after allegedly assaulting a police officer on Saturday.

Following the incident, the suspect apologized and gave the officer ₦‎12,000 ($29) to repair his damaged vehicle, according to The Punch, which also reported that Seun Kuti was being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, or Panti, in Yaba, Lagos State. The musician was accompanied by a lawyer representing Falana and Falana Chambers, the law firm of popular human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN.

An altercation between Seun Kuti and the police officer reportedly occurred after the musician bashed into the officer’s vehicle on the Third Mainland bridge. A source close to the situation said: “Seun Kuti was the one that bashed the officer’s vehicle, and the policeman followed him to call his attention to it, but the musician alighted from his car and slapped the policeman as seen in the trending video.” The officer then followed Seun Kuti to his home in Ikeja, where he apologized to the policeman and gave him ₦12,000 ($29) to repair his damaged vehicle.

The officer subsequently reported the incident at the Area F Police Command in Ikeja and deposited the ₦12,000 at the counter while he gave a written statement about the altercation. Seun Kuti was paraded in handcuffs by police officers at the SCID, Lagos, in a video clip obtained by The Punch.

Responding to an inquiry about Seun Kuti’s apology and the monetary payment, the Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said that Seun Kuti apologized to the officer on Saturday and gave him ₦‎12,000 to repair his damaged vehicle. The officer had already reported the incident at the Area F Police Command and deposited the money before the video of the assault went viral on social media.

It was reported that the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, had ordered the arrest of the musician and a full investigation into the incident. Seun Kuti alleged attempted murder of himself and his family by the police officer in question in a social media post obtained by The Punch on Saturday night.

The Police Service Commission has demanded the immediate prosecution of Seun Kuti, adding that no one has the right to assault a policeman in uniform and on official duty, no matter the offense committed by the police officer. According to section 356 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, if found guilty of assault against the police officer, Seun is liable to spend three years in prison.

In response to the allegations, Seun posted on Instagram that he welcomed the investigation and would give his full cooperation. He also prayed that whoever was wrong should be indicted. Meanwhile, his lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, said that he had sought his legal services and that he had evidence to defend his action. Falana added: “He (Seun) is going to report himself to the police tomorrow morning. There is no problem at all.”