“The Lagos police have requested the Chief Magistrate of Yaba Court to authorize the forced extraction of Seun Kuti’s blood for testing,” according to a source.
The police are vigorously searching for evidence to implicate the Afrobeat musician in another crime.
Seun Kuti was hurriedly brought back to the magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos by the police on Thursday, seeking a four-day extension “to conclude investigations,” SaharaReporters stated.
Earlier in the week, Seun was arraigned for allegedly assaulting a police officer, a violation of Section 356 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act. However, he was granted bail with certain conditions.
The musician was unable to return home due to a delay caused by the Chief Magistrate and Registrar of the Yaba Court in Lagos. The police brought Seun to court again on Thursday, seeking permission from the magistrate to hold him for additional days, without informing his lawyers.
According to a source familiar with the hearing, “Seun Kuti was rushed back to court by the police to request a four-day extension for concluding investigations. This appears to be an attempt to prevent the start of his summer tour scheduled for Saturday. Instead of signing his bail bond, the Chief Magistrate initiated a secret hearing that excluded his lawyers.”
On Tuesday, the Chief Magistrate Court in Yaba, Lagos granted bail to Seun Kuti and instructed the police to complete their investigation into the alleged assault within 48 hours, allowing Kuti to return home. Furthermore, the Chief Magistrate directed the police to withdraw from prosecuting him and instructed that the case file be duplicated and forwarded to the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions for further legal action.
Seun Kuti, the son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, was arrested and handcuffed on Monday following his visit to the state police command.
There were reports that Seun had fulfilled his promise to cooperate with the police by voluntarily turning himself in to assist in the investigation into the allegation that he assaulted a policeman, as shown in a viral video.
Meanwhile, human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, accused the police of seeking revenge rather than justice.
In a tweet, he stated, “@PoliceNG asks Chief Magistrate in Lagos to allow them forcefully draw @RealSeunKuti’s blood for testing after they didn’t find anything in his house and car during the search. This is about revenge, not justice! #Revolutionnow.”
