Nigerian musician Seun Kuti arrested for ‘police assault’

World
By William

Son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti allegedly attacked a police officer, Lagos State Police say.

Nigerian musician Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer, according to authorities.

Lagos State Police said on Monday a warrant had been issued for the arrest of the Grammy-nominated saxophonist and singer on Saturday after a viral video showed him on a road screaming and apparently pushing and punching a police officer.

It was unclear what led up to the confrontation, though Kuti wrote on social media that the officer in question “tried to kill me and my family”. He reportedly suggested that the officer tried to ram their car.

He turned himself in to the Lagos State Police Command headquarters early Monday, accompanied by a lawyer and a family representative, police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin said on Twitter.

“He has been placed under arrest in accordance with the law,” he said. “The ongoing investigation will be continued in detail, transparently and professionally; and justice will clearly be served for all parties involved.

Police said acts of contempt and contempt “for symbols of authority will not be tolerated, while violators of such heinous crimes will certainly be charged”.

The 40-year-old is the youngest son of Fela Kuti, who brought afrobeat, a mix of funk and jazz, world fame in the eighties.

Fela Kuti, a charismatic figure and activist who bitterly criticized Nigeria’s military regimes and corrupt elite, died in 1997 but has a fervent following to this day.

His son started playing in his band Egypt 80 at the age of nine and took over when he was just 14 after his father died.

In 2019, Seun Kuti and the group were nominated for a Grammy for their album Black Times in the global music category.

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