The Police Service Commission (PSC), on Sunday, commended the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Usman Baba, for ordering the arrest of Seun Kuti for allegedly assaulting a police officer on duty.
Chairperson of the PSC, Solomon Arase, in a statement said that no matter the offence, nobody, including Kuti, had the right to assault a police officer on official duty.
Mr Arase frowned at the effrontery of Kuti in slapping the policeman, insisting that Nigeria is not a Hobbesian state where might is right.
“We must, as civilised people, explore established channels of complaints against alleged infractions by law enforcement officials rather than this uncouth behaviour of assaulting the country’s symbol of authority.
“We look forward to the prompt prosecution of Kuti to act as a deterrent to others,’’ said Arase in a statement issued by PSC’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani.
Mr Ani added that Mr Arase commended the police officer for refusing to be provoked by the action of his aggressor, a development he said that would have proved fatal.
Mr Arase also said it was unfortunate that the incident occurred when the Police Force management was dealing with officers who harassed, intimidated or assaulted civilians.
He stressed that it was worrisome that police officers have now become victims of the actions of some uncultured elites.
He urged the police to use the present incident to set an example that this would never be tolerated in Nigeria, a country governed by laws, rules and regulations.
The PSC chairman noted that the groundswell of public opinion against the conduct of the abuser was indicative of the love and respect Nigerians had for law enforcement officers.
He said this underscored the need for all police officers to continually respect the populace’s rights and be professional in all their conduct.
He added that the immediate order to arrest and prosecute Kuti, who had diminished the sanctity of the symbol of authority of the Nigerian nation, was a welcome development.
“The Commission demands that the culprit be arraigned immediately, and the police must ensure that the matter is followed to its logical conclusion to restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police.
“The demand is in recognition of the fact that the police is the lead agency in internal security.
“Its ability to maintain law and order and to protect lives and property must be held sacrosanct,’’ said Mr Arase in the statement.
It would be recalled that Seun Kuti was seen in a video that has gone viral, slapping a policeman standing by a police van.
While slapping the policeman, he repeatedly asked: “You dey mad’’? (are you insane’’?)
