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Court extends Seun Kuti’s detention by 4 days as police deny parading him

Published

1 year ago

May 19, 2023

Seun Kuti

Court extends Seun Kuti’s detention by 4 days as police deny parading him

A Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, in Lagos, yesterday, granted an application for an extension of remand of embattled afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, for additional four days.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adeola Olatubosun, extended Kuti’s remand until May 22.

Mr. Simon Lough, who led a police legal team to the court, had moved the application.

According to him, the extension is to allow for further investigation into the case.
Mr. Kuti was charged with assaulting a police officer, when he allegedly slapped an Inspector of Police, after driving dangerously on the Third Mainland Bridge, in Lagos State, and deliberately blocking a moving police vehicle, on May 13, 2023.

He was earlier arraigned, on Tuesday, May 16, during which the chief magistrate ordered his remand for 48 hours.

She, however, held that the defendant should be admitted to bail in the sum of N1 million, with two sureties in like sum, at the end of the 48-hour remand, stating that one of the sureties must be a landlord within the jurisdiction of the court.

She adjourned the case to May 22, 2023, for mention and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and forward a copy to the state director of public prosecutions for advice.

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We didn’t parade Seun —Police

Meanwhile the Police faulted insinuation by Seun’s defense counsel that he (Seun) was paraded, urging him to desist from engaging in media trial and allow the judicial process take its full course.

In a statement by Head of Chambers for the Nigeria Police, DCP Simon Lough, SAN, said: “Seun Kuti was not paraded as erroneously alleged by his lawyers. It was his photograph, fingerprints, name and address that were taken as provided for in the law.

“It has become imperative to correct some misrepresentations being circulated on social media solely to garner sympathy from the public and to divert attention from the fact in issue.

“First of all, there is no law that prohibits the use of handcuffs to restrain a suspect, especially a suspect that has shown tendency of violence like Seun Kuti that has already shown acts of violence by attacking and slapping a police officer in uniform and even threatening his wife in the process.

“Secondly, section 10(4) of Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State allows the taking of photographs of suspects arrested for identification and record purpose.

“The Nigeria Police equally appeals to the defence team of Seun Kuti to desist from engaging in media trial/defence of their client and allow the judicial process take its full course.

Seun’s lawyer faults Police media trial

But reacting to claims by Mr Lough, the defence team of Kuti, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, urged the Magistrate Court to send the case file to the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution “for legal evaluation and possible charge and prosecution before a court of law.”

Olumide-Fusika, in a statement, faulted the continued remand of the embattled singer.

He said: “My attention has been drawn to a tweeted public statement ascribed to you, which, inter alia, appeals to the defence team of Mr Seun Kuti to desist from engaging in media trial/defence of their client and allow the judicial process take its course.

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“You are of course aware of the names and identities of those to whom your advice was directed. That being the case, you should have honoured your own advice against “media trial/defence” by reaching out to them otherwise than through a tweet to the whole world.
Your predilection is, however, understandable and forgiven considering that you are first and foremost a Deputy Commissioner of Police and therefore bound to obey the last order of your superiors in the Nigeria Police Force.

“Otherwise, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the unethical implication of your exertion and conduct in court would not have been lost on you. To your knowledge, the bail granted to Mr Kuti at the court session of Tuesday, May 16, 2023, was not on the application of the Police or its legal team. It was on the oral application and at the instance of Mr Kuti’s legal team, having chanced upon the ex-parte attempt of the Police to keep Mr Kuti under Police detention for twenty-one more days as from said May 16 2023.

“It should, therefore, have occurred to you that any application to vary the bail terms, including the term that his release on bail shall be effective after 48 hours from that date (which was what you went to court today to make and obtain) cannot be ex parte but on notice to Mr Kuti’s Defence team. In your elevated position as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, you ought not to be caught in any scheme having the potential of making a mockery of the rule of law and exposing the Court administration of Justice to ridicule. Mr Kuti will say no more on this for now.

“Well, now that Mr Kuti has been put in manacles and taken on parade from one police station to another and from one location to the other across Lagos State since Monday, May 15, 2023, when exactly is he going to be charged for, as you put it in your statement, “attacking and slapping a police officer in uniform?”

“Mr. Seun Kuti is patiently waiting to be charged to court for the alleged offence so that he can offer his defence. That should not be too much for a suspect to expect. I do hope that you will use your position as a lawyer, and indeed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, counselling the Police in this matter, to obey the order of the Magistrate Court to send the case file to the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution for legal evaluation and possible charge and prosecution before a court of law.”

Court extends Seun Kuti’s detention by 4 days as police deny parading him

metro

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

11 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

11 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.