“Seun was driving at an average speed on Third Mainland Bridge when this reckless, drunk policeman hit him twice from behind. And he almost skidded into the lagoon.
“Expecting the policeman to wave his hand in apology, he rather sped off. Seun had to pursue him for about 2km in order to double-cross him. On stopping him, the policeman started harassing and insulting Seun, which infuriated him, leading to the slap,” the group through a representative Francis Nwapa, recount what happened.
Gwamcee News
Free Seun Kuti Campaign, a coalition of human rights groups, has told Nigerians not to be swayed by the police narrative concerning the incarceration of musician Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, for alleged assault on a policeman.
A viral video, promoted by the police, had shown the Grammy-nominated saxophonist on a road, pushing and smacking a police officer, a situation that led to the singer’s eventual arrest and charging to Yaba Magistrate Court.
Seun Kuti, on stage
Since then the police have come up with all sorts of stories, including before the court, that the “victimised” officer was in a coma.
But according to the rights group, the narrative tendered by the security agency is false and misleading.
Seun Kuti Arrested
Recounting what really happened, the group through a representative Francis Nwapa, in Lagos yesterday, said: “Seun was driving at an average speed on Third Mainland Bridge when this reckless, drunk policeman hit him twice from behind. And he almost skidded into the lagoon.
“Expecting the policeman to wave his hand in apology, he rather sped off. Seun had to pursue him for about 2km in order to double-cross him. On stopping him, the policeman started harassing and insulting Seun, which infuriated him, leading to the slap.”
Had Kuti skidded into the lagoon, would we be talking about a slap or the life of a youth lost prematurely due to recklessness on the part of another, Comrade Nwapa wondered.
The Youth Rights Campaign, YRC, activist noted that the masses have suffered much brutality under the police.
“Even if he slapped the (policeman), we have been brutalized, maimed, killed and organs harvested in police custody as seen in Anambra recently,” he pointed out.
Concerning the policeman, the activist wondered why he was being shrouded in secrecy, when they ought to bring him out for public scrutiny, to get at the bottom of the matter.
“Same man they said went to Seun’s house to collect N12,000 to fix his vehicle; they told Yaba Chief Magistrate was in a coma.
We understand what is going on; Seun is being punished for his stance over the years against the government that has subjected the masses to poverty and misery.”
In his contribution, Comrade Kunle Ajayi, a member of the Kuti Campaign and ex-chair of Action African Congress, AAC, submitted that Kuti’s action probably prevented his family from being murdered.
Ajayi wondered “if the police were really a legal body doing legal things, and not a lying body, why should they search (Seun’s) house, car, phones. Even attempt illegally to draw blood from Seun, or have him taken to the psychiatric hospital, when he didn’t take the cheek of the policeman home.”
He described the antics by the police as similar to what they did to Mr Macaroni and other #EndSARS leaders, but added that as human rights groups “we won’t watch idly while such action is taken against any activist or Nigerian.”
