Senior Advocate of Nigeria and counsel to Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, Adeyinka Olumide- Fusika has knocked the Lagos State Police for embarking on a media trial of his client in their investigation of allegations of assault on a police officer against the musician.
Olumode-Fusika, in a statement Tuesday said the Public Relations Officer of the, Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin whom he claimed doubles as the investigative police officer of the case, refused to send the file containing the report of his investigation for legal evaluation but made it a subject of media publication.
Fusika stated that the decision of the police to handcuff Kuti and subject him to media parade is illegal and violates Section 5 of the Administration of Criminal Justice law. Headded that the singer is presumed innocent till the contrary is proven by the state.
He said though Seun Kuti reported to the police by himself by 8am on Monday morning, he didn’t give his statement till 8pm.
But the Lagos Police spokesperson, Mr Hundeyin, told our correspondent that the investigation is being handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department and not him.
He said Seun Kuti arrived at the SCID by 12pm, Monday and was not at any point stopped from making his statement adding that he made his statement by 8pm which was the convenient time for the police.
When asked if the police intend to obtain a court order to detain Kuti further since the suspect has been in custody for about twenty four hours, Hundeyin declined to give a definite response saying he cannot disclose the plans of the police as regards their next move.
Meanwhile, Mr Fusika said he will be awaiting the next move by the police whom he accused of denying Mr Kuti’s wife the “privilege” of delivering a meal to him on Monday evening “even though there was no other arrangement in place to have him fed.”
See the lawyer’s full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT
*POLICE v SEUN KUTI:* *A FURTHER UPDATE*
_For immediate release: Tuesday May 16, 2023_ .
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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”.
4. 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,”
5. Although he had been with the Police since 8:00am on Monday 15th May, 2023, Mr. Seun Kuti notes that it was at about 8:00pm 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.
6. 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’.
7. 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.
8. We await the next move of the Police on the allegation of crime against Mr. Seun Kuti.
SGD:
Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN.
