Seun Kuti, the Afrobeat singer and son of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who is currently being remanded at the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID) in Panti, Yaba, Lagos, after assaulting a police officer, has reportedly been appointed the ‘General Overseer’ (GO) of his cell by the inmates. They presented him with a copy of the Holy Bible as a symbol of his office. However, this appointment did not come without some initial resistance from the inmates.
In a viral video, Seun was accused of slapping a police officer on the Third Mainland Bridge on May 13, which led to his arrest being ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba. Seun voluntarily surrendered to the police on Monday, accompanied by his lawyers, and was subsequently arraigned at the Sabo, Yaba Chief Magistrate Court on Tuesday, where he was ordered to be remanded.
According to Saturday Vanguard, after preliminary interrogations, Seun was taken to join the other suspected criminals in the cell. However, upon his arrival, he faced opposition from the inmates. They began banging on the metal protective door, demanding that Seun be removed from the cell.
Sources revealed that Seun started negotiating for peace as the uproar continued. He promised to give the inmates N25,000, which he had to request from his wife. After the money was handed over to their leader, the inmates finally accepted Seun and provided him with a place to sit.
Following the incident, Seun was so infuriated that he refused to eat the food provided to him, including the meals brought by his wife. He went on a hunger strike for nearly a day and a half before eventually resuming eating.
In a surprising turn of events, the inmates later crowned Seun as the General Overseer of the cell and presented him with a Bible. This means that he now leads prayer sessions for the inmates when necessary, with everyone chanting “GO, GO.”
When visited by Vanguard at the Panti Department, Seun was seen tightly holding the Bible as he climbed the stairs to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara. He was later led back downstairs and returned to the cell.
Visitors to Seun have included his elder brother, Femi, other family members, his lawyers, and some friends.
The police have refuted claims by Seun’s defense counsel that he was paraded, urging him to refrain from engaging in a media trial and allow the judicial process to run its course.
The Chief Magistrate Court in Sabo, Yaba has granted an application for a four-day extension of Seun Kuti’s remand to facilitate further investigation into the case. The remand has been extended until May 22, as requested by Mr. Simon Lough, SAN, who led a police legal team in court.
