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Seun Kuti Apologised To Assaulted Policeman, Gave Him ₦‎12,000 To Repair Vehicle

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Following the incident that led to the arrest and detention of Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti on Monday, the suspect had apologized and given the sum of ₦‎12,000 to the assaulted officer to repair his damaged vehicle on Saturday.

Impeccable sources privy to the incident confirmed the development on Monday, adding that the officer had trailed Seun Kuti to his Akin Osiyemi residence off Allen Avenue, Ikeja after the musician bashed his vehicle on the Third Mainland bridge.

A source said, “Seun Kuti was the one that bashed the officer’s vehicle, and the policeman followed him to call his attention to it, but the musician alighted from his car and slapped the policeman as seen in the trending video. However, the officer reported the incident at the Police Command in Ikeja.”

“The policeman was alone. After the altercation, he followed Seun Kuti to his home in Ikeja, and the musician apologized to the policeman and gave him ₦12,000 to repair his damaged vehicle.

“But the officer reported the incident at the Area F Police Command in Ikeja, and deposited the ₦12,000 at the counter while he gave a written statement concerning the incident,” another source said.

Seun Kuti is currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, popularly known as Panti, in Yaba, Lagos State, following a visit to the FCID over the alleged assault.

The musician was accompanied by a lawyer representing Falana and Falana Chambers, the law firm of popular human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN.

Responding to an inquiry concerning Seun’s apology and monetary tip, in a telephone interview on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said Seun Kuti had on Saturday apologized to the assaulted policeman and given him the sum of ₦‎12,000 for vehicle repair.

Hundeyin said, “Although the investigation is still ongoing, but your correspondence is correct. Seun Kuti apologized to the officer on Saturday and gave him ₦‎12,000 to repair his damaged vehicle after the officer followed him to his house in Ikeja after the altercation.

“Fortunately, the policeman had earlier reported the incident at the Area F Police Command, and deposited the ₦‎12,000 with the Command, before the video of the assault went viral on social media.”

It was earlier reported that the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba had earlier ordered the arrest of the musician.

The IG equally ordered a speedy and full investigation into the remote and immediate cause(s) of the alleged assault and prosecution of the suspect accordingly.

This was as the musician alleged attempted murder of himself and his family by the police officer in question, in a social media post on Saturday night.

However, following the IG’s order for his arrest, Mr. Kuti in another Instagram post, said, “I welcome the investigation and will give my full cooperation! I also pray to the IG that whoever is wrong should be indicted.”

This was as the Police Service Commission demands the immediate prosecution of the musician, adding that no one has the right to assault a policeman in uniform and on official duty, no matter the offense committed by the police officer.

Following the development, Falana, SAN, said the musician had sought his legal services, adding that Seun Kuti has evidence to defend his action.

Falana said, “I am his lawyer and he has briefed me. He certainly has evidence. This is not the first time he is dealing with the police.

“He (Seun) is going to report himself to the police tomorrow morning. There is no problem at all.”

Musician risks three years imprisonment

According to section 356 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, if found guilty of assault against the yet-to-be-named police officer, Ṣeun Kuti is liable to spend three years in prison.

The Act reads,“ Anyone who assaults, resists, or willfully obstructs a police officer while acting in the execution of his duty, or any person acting in aid of a police officer while so acting is guilty of felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.”

Kuti in a 12-second video clip that went viral on Saturday showed Kuti, who wore a red shirt and white pair of trousers, pushing a policeman, who stood beside a Toyota Hilux police van. He then proceeded to slap the cop, as he shouted, “You dey craze, you dey mad?”

A motorist, who filmed the incident from his car, was heard saying, “Omo na Kuti o. Na better news be this o.”

PSC demands musician’s prosecution

The Police Service Commission has demanded the immediate prosecution of Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, over alleged assault on a police officer on the Third Mainland bridge in Lagos State on Saturday.

The PSC Chairman, Dr. Solomon Arase, a retired Inspector-General of Police, said Seun’s arraignment would serve as a deterrent to other citizens, adding that no one has the right to assault a policeman in uniform and on official duty, no matter the offense committed by a police officer.

Credit: The Punch

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BREAKING: Court Finds Natasha Guilty Of Contempt, Fines Her N5 million

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday convicted the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for contempt over a satirical apology she posted on her Facebook page on April 27.

Justice Binta Nyako, delivering judgment in the suit filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan challenging her suspension, began with the contempt application submitted by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Akpabio, in his application, argued that the senator’s social media post breached an earlier court order that restrained all parties from speaking to the press or posting on social media about the matter.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel contended that the post was unrelated to the court’s order on her suspension but was about a separate matter involving sexual harassment claims against the third respondent (Akpabio).

However, Justice Nyako ruled that after reviewing the post and the application before her filed by the third respondent, she was convinced it was connected to the suspension case before the court and therefore declared the plaintiff guilty of contempt.

The judge directed Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish an apology in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days. She also imposed a fine of N5 million.

 

More to come…

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Court Orders Senate To Recall Suspended Natasha Akpoti

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday ruled that the Nigerian Senate exceeded its powers by suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, ordering her to be immediately recalled to the Red Chamber.

Justice Binta Nyako, delivering the judgment, described the suspension period as “excessive” and lacking a solid legal basis.

The court stated that both Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which the Senate relied on, do not specify a maximum suspension length. Therefore, their application in this situation was considered overreaching.

The judge noted that since the National Assembly is only mandated to sit for 181 days in a legislative year, suspending a lawmaker for about the same length of time effectively silences an entire constituency, calling it unconstitutional.

“While the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, such sanctions must not go so far as to deny constituents their right to representation,” Nyako ruled.

However, the court agreed with Senate President Godswill Akpabio on a different issue, ruling that his decision to prevent Akpoti-Uduaghan from speaking during a plenary—because she was not in her designated seat—did not violate her rights.

Nyako also dismissed Akpabio’s argument that the judiciary should not interfere in what he described as an “internal affair” of the legislature, saying fundamental rights and representation fall squarely within the court’s jurisdiction.

In a separate twist, the court imposed a monetary penalty on Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating an earlier court directive that barred both parties from making public comments about the ongoing legal proceedings.

The fine amounts to millions of naira.

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COALITION: We’ll Register New Party As Backup To ADC — El-Rufai

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A leader of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and an important figure in the opposition coalition, Nasir El-Rufai, stated that a new political party would be registered as a backup for the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

El-Rufai explained that the new party would serve as an alternative option to guard against potential infiltration by the All Progressives Congress, APC, into the ADC.

The opposition coalition had chosen the ADC as its platform on Wednesday.

However, El-Rufai noted that there is a possibility the APC could spark a crisis within the ADC by turning old members against the new leadership.

He revealed this during an interview with Radio France International (RFI) Hausa Service on Wednesday night.

“Those who refuse to join the APC face threats of investigations by agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), or Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

“The opposition parties’ alliance in the ADC is temporary, and we may register a new party as a second option, which we will move to should the ADC be instigated into crisis by the government,” the former Kaduna governor stated.

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