There has been an outrage towards the action of a popular Afro singer, Seun Kuti, who was filmed assaulting a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State. The attack on the police man by the musician action has recieved condemnation from thousands of Nigerians.
The 12-second video clip which went viral on Saturday showed Kuti, who wore a red shirt and white pair of trousers, pushing a policeman, who remorsefully stood calm beside a Toyota Hilux police van.
After Kuti finished manhandling the officer, he proceeded to slap him and continued yelling “You dey crase, you dey mad?”
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, CFR has ordered the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command to arrest the Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti. According to him, the incident will also be investigated, thoroughly.
The IGP equally ordered a speedy and full investigation into the remote and immediate cause(s) of the assault and prosecution of the suspect accordingly.
Seun has come out to defend himself stating that the policeman almost killed his family. He also made it known that the policeman apologized at the scene and they already had it sorted.
However, to be clear, nothing justifies Seun’s action but we all cannot be a gentle dove. On December 25, 2022, a cop attached to the Ajah Police Station shot a 41-year-old pregnant lawyer, Bolanle Raheem at close range, under the Ajah Bridge, in the presence of her husband and kids. Who knows if Bolanle would still be alive if her husband had chosen to avert the disaster by adopting Seun’s approach?
Barawani, a graduate of Taraba State University, was driving with his boss, Liu, a LG chairman, before he was killed by a policeman on June 4, 2022. He was shot at a checkpoint in Kpanti Napo near Jalingo after submitting himself to be checked.
Police brutality is an unending nightmare in Nigeria, with horrifying history of extrajudicial killings, and I do not think everybody will want to play the gentle dove in dealing with them and their excesses.
Seun’s action is condemnable but I believe the policeman must have done something terrible that triggered Seun’s action.
The policeman should get punished regardless for what he must have done to trigger Seun who’s popularly known to be the people’s activist. Evidence seems to be present as Seun made a claim about the policeman putting the lives of his family at risk.