JUST-IN: Afrobeat Musician, Seun Kuti Released On Bail

Seun Kuti, afrobeat musician has been released on Tuesday night on bail, from the detention of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos.

Accroding to Punch, his attorney, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, disclosed in a telephone interview on Tuesday night.

“Yes, Ṣeun Kuti was released minutes ago,” he said.

Remember that it was previously reported that the Afrobeat musician may be freed today (Tuesday) after the extension of his remand in police custody expired? According to court records, Kuti’s remand was prolonged by the Chief Magistrate until May 23.

According to the document, a Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State granted the police’s request for an extension of Seun Kuti’s detention until Tuesday (today) so that they could complete their investigation and seek the opinion of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

The police had informed the court that the first two-day extension of remand was insufficient for them to complete their investigation.

Responding to the police’ application, the magistrate said, “I will grant the extension. Matter adjourned to May 23, 2023, for DPP’s advice,” the document exclusively obtained by our correspondent on Monday revealed.

Meanwhile, legal counsel to the musician, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, told the Punch that his client’s (Seun Kuti’s) bail conditions had been met last Thursday.

However, it was gathered that police lawyers went to court on Thursday to get a remand extension without notifying the musician’s legal counsel.

“The police lawyers came to court on Thursday without informing Seun’s lawyers. When the matter was called for mention, a young lawyer who was in court, pleaded with the magistrate to stand down the matter for about five minutes for Seun Kuti’s legal counsel, Olumide-Fusika, SAN, who had rushed down from Ikeja, to arrive.

“But the magistrate refused, and extended Seun’s detention till Monday,” a source privy to the development revealed to our correspondent on Thursday.

It was gathered that the lead counsel to the police, Simon Lough, SAN, moved the application, noting that the extension was to allow further investigation into the case.

Recall that Kuti was charged with assaulting a police officer during an altercation on Saturday, May 13, on the Third Mainland Bridge, in Lagos.

The police charged him with slapping an inspector after he drove dangerously on the bridge, and deliberately blocked a moving police vehicle.

Kuti was arraigned last Tuesday, during which the Chief Magistrate earlier ordered his remand for 48 hours, and held that the defendant be admitted to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum, at the end of the 48-hour remand.

However, following a second arraignment last Thursday, the magistrate adjourned the case until May 23 for mention and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and forward a copy to the state director of public prosecutions for advice.

Seun Kuti’s bail conditions met – Lawyer
Reacting to the development during an interview with our correspondent, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, noted that the musician’s bail conditions had been met, while insinuating that the court’s decision for the four days remand extension would, however, be respected.

Olumide-Fusika said, “There’s no comment on the four-day extension. It’s a court decision, we’ll wait and see.

“However, Ṣeun Kuti’s bail conditions have been met from our side. But since there’s a court decision extending for four days, the presiding magistrate did not sign off until after then.”