Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has been arrested at the State Criminal Investigation Department, popularly known as Panti, in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, over an alleged assault on a police officer on Saturday.

Development Diaries reports that the musician was accompanied by a lawyer representing Falana and Falana Chambers, the law firm of popular human rights activist, Femi Falana.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had ordered the arrest of the son of the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti, after a video of the musician assaulting a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State emerged.

In defence of his action, the musician had claimed on his Instagram page that the unarmed police operative tried to kill him and his family.

‘He [the policeman] tried to kill me and my family. I have the proof but I no dey chase clout. He has apologised and I have agreed not to press charges’, he said.

Seun Kuti’s action is a violation of the right of the policeman as Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution protects the dignity of a human person.

Does it mean that he sees himself as an ‘Idan’ (a Yoruba word for a person who is a don, godfather, or ‘bad guy’)?

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

‘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’, the Act read.

Development Diaries calls on the Nigerian police to carry out a thorough and unbiased investigation into the assault case and prosecute the musician in line with the provisions of the law.