After eight days in Police custody, Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, Tuesday night regained his freedom following the perfection of his bail condition.
Kuti was released around 7:45 pm from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, his abode since his arrest and detention on May 15, after he surrendered himself to the police over an alleged grievous assault on an Inspector on the Third Mainland Bridge, penultimate Saturday.
Announcing his release from police custody on his verified Twitter account, activist, Omoyele Sowore, who shared a video of Kuti receiving warm embraces from his supporters, wrote: “Just to announce that @RealSeunKuti has been released from @PoliceNG detention in Lagos. Hasta la victoria siempre!”
The singer’s lawyers, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) and Kunle Adegoke (SAN), in an earlier statement, assured his supporters that the absence of the Chief Magistrate, Adeola Olatunbosun, would not affect his bail.
They issued a statement following a protest that greeted the announcement at the Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court that proceedings could not hold due to the absence of the Magistrate.
Kuti has been in detention since May 15 for an alleged serious assault on a Police Inspector on the Third Mainland Bridge. The singer whose immediate arrest was ordered by the Inspector General of Police (IG) Alkali Usman, surrendered himself to the police that Monday before he was arrested and detained at the SCID, Yaba.
The police had filed a holding charge before the court requesting to detain the suspect for 21 days but was granted two days remand. At the expiration of the 48 hours, the police again filed an exparte application to the court requesting additional four days to keep the suspect in custody to allow for seamless investigation, which the court obliged.
However, proceedings could not go on at the court on Tuesday following the absence of the Chief Magistrate, who was said to be in training.
