Former presidential candidate, Rev Chris Okotie, has pleaded with the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, to show mercy in the case of detained music star Seun Kuti.
Remember, Kuti was taken into custody by the police for attacking an officer who stopped his car on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Kuti explained that he slapped the officer because the officer threatened to harm his family.
In a statement released in Lagos by his media assistant, Ladi Ayodeji, the religious leader acknowledged that Kuti’s actions were influenced by the demands of young people in Nigeria who want to see a better country.
He said: “I would like to urge the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to demonstrate a paternal clemency towards Seun Kuti in his transgression against an authorised myrmidon of the law. “Anti-establishment is not acceptable under any guise, however, a humane superintendence is a mark of a great leadership.
“The youths have been under tremendous pressure to establish a new Nigerian social order and Seun’s abrasive conduct is a tangent from that trajectory.
“I plead earnestly with the IGP to temper justice with mercy and exculpate Seun of all charges. Femi and Seun Kuti are artistic souvenirs bestowed upon us by the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and we truly appreciate the creative artistry demonstrated in their musical genre.
“Please find sufficient grace in your heart to anesthesize the gravity of this provocation.
May the blessing of the God of heaven be vouchsafed to you in the plenitude of His Grace.”
