As the trial of star musician, Seun Kuti, began in Lagos on Tuesday, the judge, Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun, took a peculiar step to avoid being influenced by his lawyer and that of the police, which has accused the artiste of assaulting a policeman.
The prosecution led by S. A Adebese and Morufu Animashaun, had urged the court to remand Seun for 21 days pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
But Seun’s counsel, led by Femi Falana, SAN, prayedagainst this, stating that they (the counsel) were not aware of the remand application.
The magistrate then requested five minutes of recess stating that she needed to deliberate on her own.
She, however, handed her phone to the registrar to avoid calls from both parties.
Eventually, the Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court ordered Suen’s remand.
Olatubosun held that Kuti should be remanded for 48 hours in police custody.
But she held that the defendant should be admitted to bail in the sum of one million Naira with two sureties in like sum, at the end of the 48-hour remand.
She said that one of the sureties must be a landlord within the jurisdiction of the court.
She adjourned the case until May 22 for mention.
She directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and forward a copy to the state director of public prosecutions for advice.
Earlier, the investigating police officer, Mr Lekan Ogundare, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on May 13 on the Third Mainland Bridge.
He said that the defendant drove dangerously on the bridge and deliberately blocked a moving police vehicle.
He alleged that the defendant grabbed Insp Mohammed Aminu attached to the Police Training College, Ikeja, while on official movement and in police uniform.
Ogundare said that the defendant slapped Aminu several times on his face.
Mr S. A. Adebeshin, a legal officer of the police, had applied to the court to remand Kuti for 21 days to enable further investigation on the case.
His application was supported by a 12-paragraph affidavit.
Responding, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) and counsel to the defendant, said that he was not aware of the application for the defendant’s remand.
He requested for time to respond to the application.
