- By Kamil Opeyemi
Afro-singer, Seun Kuti, is to submit himself to the the Police today (Monday) to answer for his actions where he slapped and assaulted a police officer.
The incident took place on Saturday at the Third Mainland Bridge.
A video clip had shown the artist slapping the policeman whom he accused of attempting to kill him and his family.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, announced on Sunday he would be defending the singer who is son of late afrobeat maestro, Fela Ransome Kuti.
NPO Reports that the Lagos State Police Command had made efforts to arrest the singer on Sunday but found he was nowhere to be found.
Falana said his client has enough evidence to support his action.
He said, “I am his (Seun Kuti’s) lawyer and he has briefed me. He certainly has evidence. This is not the first time he is dealing with the police.”
The Police Service Commission has on Sunday demanded immediate arrest of Seun Kuti.
Reacting, Chairman of the PSC, Dr Solomon Arase said in a statement that no matter the offence, nobody, including Kuti, had the right to assault a policeman on official duty.
Arase 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.
Ani added that Arase commended the police officer for refusing to be provoked by the action of his aggressor; a development, he said would have been fatal.
Arase also said it was unfortunate that the incident occurred at a time when the Police Force management was dealing with officers who harassed, intimidated or assaulted civilians.
He stressed that it was worrisome that police officers had now become victims of the actions of some uncultured elites.
He enjoined the police to use the present incident to set an example that this would never be tolerated in Nigeria, a country governed by laws, rules and regulations.
The PSC chairman noted that the groundswell of public opinion against the conduct of the abuser was indicative of the love and respect Nigerians had for law enforcement officers.
He said this underscored the need for all police officers to continually respect the right of the populace and be professional in all their conducts.
He added that the prompt order to arrest and prosecute Kuti, who obviously had diminished the sanctity of the symbol of authority of the Nigerian nation, was a welcome development.
“The Commission demands that the culprit be arraigned immediately and the police must ensure that the matter is followed to its logical conclusion to restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police.
“The demand is in recognition of the fact that the police is the lead agency in internal security.
“Its ability to maintain law and order and to protect lives and property must be held sacrosanct,’’ Ani also quoted Arase as saying.