The police in Lagos State have arraigned Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, for slapping a policeman in uniform.
Seun had, in a video, accused the policeman of bashing his car hence the assault.
The arraignment took place at the magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos, on Tuesday.
Seun Kuti was said to have violated Section Section 356 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, by his action.
During the arraignment, the police prosecutor, S.A. Adebese, prayed the court to remand the musician for 21 days pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP.
Femi Falana, counsel to the musician, however, pleaded that his client should not be remanded.
Seun Kuti turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, following the order for his arrest by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, for slapping a police officer in uniform.
Seun’s attack on the police officer is contained in a video that has since gone viral.
According to the spokesman of the police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, on his Twitter handle, Seun Kuti turned himself in in the company of his lawyer and family representative.
The spokesman said he had been arrested in line with the law.
He gave the assurance that the police would carry out detailed, transparent and professional investigation on the matter.
He also expressed the appreciation of members of the public for their concern expressed over the matter.
It would be recalled that the chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC, Solomon Arase, has declared that Seun Kuti should be prosecuted without delay in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
Arase said in a statement that no matter the offence, nobody, including Kuti, had the right to assault a policeman on official duty.
He frowned at the effrontery of Kuti to have slapped the policeman, insisting that Nigeria is not a Hobbesian state where might is right.
“We must, as civilized people explore established channels of complaints against alleged infractions by law enforcement officials rather than this uncouth behaviour of assaulting the country’s symbol of authority.
“We look forward to the prompt prosecution of Kuti to act as a deterrent to others,’’ Arase was quoted in the statement issued by PSC’s spokesman, Mr Mr Ikechukwu Ani.
