The Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State command has asked the court for a remand order to detain Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, for 21 days after it earlier secretly arraigned him at the Yaba Magistrate Court without notifying his lawyers.
It was also learnt that the police prosecutors claimed at the Magistrate Court that the assaulted policeman was in a coma, and was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
Meanwhile, the court is presently on recess as the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adeola Olatunbosun, said she was “studying the file.”
A witness at the court said, “The Chief Magistrate Mrs, Adeola Olatunbosun Magistrate Court 1 Yaba took statement from the Nigerian police applying to detain Seun Kuti for 21 days, claiming the policeman he allegedly assaulted is in a coma at an undisclosed hospital.
“However, Kuti’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika countered that the police already stated publicly that the police officer trailed and went to Seun’s house and accepted N12,000 to repair his car. It also emerged that the DCP in Panti had gone to meet the Magistrate earlier before secretly moving Seun to the court without notifying his lawyer.
“They also accused Seun of not writing a statement, but Olumide-Fusika countered that he was there when Seun wrote a statement. The Chief Magistrate decided to go on recess to ‘study the file.’”
The Magistrate Court began sitting by 12pm, but Seun Kuti and his lawyers, who had got wind of the police secret arraignment, were already in court.
“The police have moved Seun Kuti to the Yaba Magistrate Court for arraignment without notifying his lawyers. The magistrate is sitting by 12noon, but Seun and his lawyers are already in court,” a source had revealed.