There have been an outrage over the assault on an officer of the Nigerian Police Force by a popular singer, Seun Kuti.
NPO Reported that the incident happened on Saturday on the Third Mainland Bridge which was captured in a video recording. It is not clear yet what led to the assault but Kuti was seen in the clip charging at the police officer and demanding if he was mad. At the same time, he was captured dealing the police man a slap.
In a statement made available to the NPO Reports by force spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, he said “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, CFR has ordered the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command to arrest Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, who was captured on video assaulting a police officer in uniform.
The IGP has equally ordered a speedy and full investigation into the remote and immediate cause(s) of the assault and prosecution of the suspect accordingly. “
The police also said that the police boss Usman Alkali Baba assured Nigerians that acts of contempt and disdain for symbols of authority will not be tolerated while offenders of such crimes will be prosecuted. Reactions to the incident have been diverse and wild. Many have expressed surprise that the singer did not control his anger leading to his physical assault on the officer. Kemi Olunloyo, Pharmacist-turned investigative journalist, said though what transpired between Seun Kuti’s car and the police patrol van was not clear to anyone, it was clear that the singer accused the police of endangering the lives of his family members. She said if this had happened in America and Seun had behaved this way, the officers could have shot him or pepper-sprayed him or at least tasered him and demobilise him. In his own reaction, a Nigerian publisher, Mr. Gbenro Adegbola, queried why the order for the arrest of Seun must be issued by the Inspector General of Police himself and not a Divisional Police Officer.
“Why, actually does it have to be the IGP ordering Seun Kuti’s arrest? Shouldn’t an arrest be the routine course of action in such incident?
“This order should’ve been put in the mouth of the local DPO. All these orders from above simply undermine the system and kills discretion.”