Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, the legal counsel of Seun Kuti, an Afrobeat singer, has accused police of denying his client food prepared by his wife while in police custody.
Mr Olumide-Fusika said in a statement on Tuesday that his client is being starved and maltreated for his refusal to write a statement on the altercation.
“The consequence of this for Mr Seun Kuti was that his wife was refused the “privilege” of delivering a meal to him in the evening of Monday, May 15, 2023, even though there was no other arrangement in place to have him fed,” the lawyer said.
Mr Olumide-Fusika accused the Lagos police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin of doubling as an “investigating police officer into the case of alleged assault of a policeman” by my client Mr Kuti and issuing a report of his investigative work.
The lawyer condemned the investigation conducted by police spokesperson in Lagos, accusing him of publishing police’s findings in the media instead of “sending the file containing his report of investigation for legal evaluation towards possible prosecution.”
“Mr Benjamin Hundeyin who goes by the formal title of Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, but apparently 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 Olumide-Fusika said.
“Mr Seun Kuti would have expected that having completed his investigative work, Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, a law enforcer, would proceed according to law by sending the file containing his report of investigation for legal evaluation towards possible prosecution.
“Mr Seun Kuti is nevertheless not surprised that Mr Benjamin Hundeyin chose instead to make his investigative report the subject of media publication, as for instance, in the Punch online publication of Monday, May 15, 2023, titled “Assault: Seun Kuti apologised, gave cop ₦12,000 to repair vehicle, police say.”
“According to Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, in his investigative report handed over to The Punch, 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. However, the officer reported the incident at the Police Command in Ikeja.
“The policeman was alone. After the altercation, he followed Seun Kuti to his home in Ikeja, and the musician apologised to the policeman and gave him ₦12,000 to repair his damaged vehicle.
“But the officer 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 concerning the incident.”
Mr Olumide-Fusika said his client has been in police custody since 8:00 am., on Monday but was asked to write a statement on the issue around 8:00 pm., after Mr Hundeyin had already “completed and published his investigative report.”
The lawyer said his client will give his statement at the right place under the law to defend himself against Mr Hundeyin’s “published investigative findings.”
Mr Olumide-Fusika added, “Although he had been with the Police since 8:00 am on Monday 15th May 2023, Mr Seun Kuti notes that it was at about 8:00 pm that day, after Mr Benjamin Hundeyin had already completed and published his investigative report above, that he was asked to make a statement to the Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba
“Mr Seun Kuti has, therefore, 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, there was no useful purpose to be served by any statement from him. He will, at the right time and place, and in as rigorous a manner possible under the law, defend himself against Mr Hundeyin’s published ‘investigative findings.”
When contacted for comments, Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson in Lagos did not immediately respond to OsunDaily’s request.
On Monday, Mr Kuti voluntarily turned himself in to the police after he was caught on camera slapping a police officer in Lagos.
Usman Baba, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had on Sunday ordered Mr Kuti’s arrest, after he was caught on camera assaulting a policeman.
