Seun Kuti, an afrobeat musician, was taken into custody by the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Lagos, but was freed on bail on Tuesday night.
His counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, verified the situation in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Tuesday night.
‘’Yes, Ṣeun Kuti was released minutes ago,” he said.
According to court records obtained by Propolitics, Kuti’s remand was extended by the Chief Magistrate, Adeola Olatunbosun, until Tuesday, May 23, contrary to earlier reports in Propolitics that suggested the Afrobeat musician might be freed today (Tuesday), following the expiration of the extension of his remand in police custody.
According to the document, a Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State granted the police’s request for an extension of Seun Kuti’s detention until Tuesday (today) so that they could complete their investigation and seek the opinion of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The police had informed the court that the first two-day extension of remand was insufficient for them to complete their investigation.
The magistrate responded to the police’s request by saying, “I will grant the extension. “Matter adjourned to May 23, 2023, for DPP’s advice,” the document, which our correspondent exclusively obtained on Monday, stated.
The musician’s legal representative, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, informed Propolitics that Seun Kuti’s bail requirements had been satisfied last Thursday.
Our source learned, however, that police attorneys went to court on Thursday to request an extension of the musician’s remand without first informing the musician’s attorney.
“The police lawyers came to court on Thursday without informing Seun’s lawyers. When the matter was called for mention, a young lawyer who was in court, pleaded with the magistrate to stand down the matter for about five minutes for Seun Kuti’s legal counsel, Olumide-Fusika, SAN, who had rushed down from Ikeja, to arrive.
“But the magistrate refused, and extended Seun’s detention till Monday,” a source privy to the development revealed to our correspondent on Thursday.
Our source learned that Simon Lough, SAN, the main attorney for the police, moved the motion and stated that the reason for the extension was to allow for additional case investigation.
According to Propolitics, Kuti is accused of attacking a police officer on Saturday, May 13, after an encounter on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
He was accused of slapping an inspector by the police after he drove recklessly on the bridge and purposely impeded a moving police car.
At Kuti’s arraignment last Tuesday, the Chief Magistrate decreed that the defendant be admitted to bail in the amount of N1 million with two sureties in the same amount at the conclusion of the 48-hour detention.
However, following a second arraignment last Thursday, the magistrate ordered the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and send a copy to the state director of public prosecutions for guidance. The matter was then postponed until May 23 for mention.
Seun Kuti’s bail conditions met – Lawyer
Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, responded to the situation in an interview with our correspondent by noting that the musician’s bail requirements had been met while also implying that the court’s decision to extend the musician’s confinement by four days would still be honored.
Olumide-Fusika said, “There’s no comment on the four-day extension. It’s a court decision, we’ll wait and see.
“However, Ṣeun Kuti’s bail conditions have been met from our side. But since there’s a court decision extending for four days, the presiding magistrate did not sign off until after then.”
