Seun Kuti: Person who voluntarily submitted self cannot presume to be violent – Kenneth Okonkwo slams Police

• Famous Nigerian actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo expresses disapproval of the Lagos State Police’s handling of singer Seun Kuti.

• Okonkwo highlights the unlawfulness of handcuffing Kuti after he willingly surrendered himself.

• Citing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, Okonkwo emphasizes that individuals who voluntarily submit to the police should not be presumed violent or planning to escape.

Kenneth Okonkwo, a renowned Nigerian actor, lawyer, and politician, has strongly criticized the Lagos State Police for their treatment of singer Seun Kuti.

The incident occurred when the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, shared images and videos on Twitter, revealing Kuti handcuffed and without his shoes, confirming his arrest.

Following the release of these images, numerous Nigerians took to social media platforms to express their discontent with the police’s actions.

In response, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Nigerian Police Public Relations Officer, defended the police, stating that the procedure carried out, including handcuffing, was routine before the detention of an individual.

However, Kenneth Okonkwo took to Twitter on Tuesday to express his dissenting opinion. He condemned the police’s act of handcuffing Seun Kuti after he had voluntarily surrendered himself.

Okonkwo argued that according to Section 5(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, “A suspect or defendant may not be handcuffed, bound, or subjected to restraint except when there is a reasonable apprehension of violence or an attempt to escape.”

Okonkwo stressed that a person who voluntarily submits to the police cannot be automatically presumed to be violent or planning to escape.

As a spokesperson for a movement dedicated to upholding the rule of law, he emphasized that unlawful violence against Nigerian citizens, particularly law enforcement agents, should not be tolerated.

Okonkwo urged the importance of maintaining the rule of law in the country, regardless of the individuals involved.