The Lagos State Police Command has requested from the court a remand order to detain Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, for 21 days.
The police had earlier arraigned him at the Yaba Magistrate Court.
The police prosecutors were said to have claimed at the Magistrate Court that the policeman who was assaulted by the Afro beat singer had slipped in a coma, and was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
There are reports that the court is presently on recess as the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adeola Olatunbosun, said she was “studying the file.”
A witness at the court said, “The Chief Magistrate Mrs, Adeola Olatunbosun of Magistrate Court 1 Yaba received a statement from the Nigerian police applying to detain Seun Kuti for 21 days, claiming the policeman he allegedly assaulted is in a coma at an undisclosed hospital.
“However, Kuti’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika countered that the police already stated publicly that the police officer trailed and went to Seun’s house and accepted N12,000 to repair his car…
“They also accused Seun of not writing a statement, but Olumide-Fusika countered that he was there when Seun wrote a statement. The Chief Magistrate decided to go on recess to ‘study the file.’”
It was learnt that the Magistrate Court began sitting by 12pm, but Seun Kuti and his lawyers, who had got wind of the police secret arraignment, were already in court.
“The police have moved Seun Kuti to the Yaba Magistrate Court for arraignment without notifying his lawyers. The magistrate is sitting by 12noon, but Seun and his lawyers are already in court,” a source said.
Kuti, speaking through his lawyer, Olumide-Fusika, SAN, in an update on Tuesday morning, noted that he would “at the right time and place” defend himself against Hundeyin’s published “investigative findings.”
The police at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti refused to grant Seun Kuti bail when he failed to write a statement.
It was earnt that his lawyer asked the police to grant the musician bail but the request was rejected under the pretext that they were yet to conclude with their investigation.
Seun was on Monday arrested and handcuffed when he surrendered himself to the state police command for assaulting a policeman.
Kuti, accompanied by his lawyer and a family representative went to the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, on Monday to surrender himself.
