Fellow inmates at Panti Street crown Seun Kuti as detention centre's general overseer

EMBATTLED Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has been crowned the general overseer of his detention centre by inmates at the Investigations and Intelligence Department of the Lagos State Police Command where he is being detained for slapping a policeman.

Seun, 40, the son of musical legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was declared wanted by the inspector general of police Usman Baba, after slapping a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge last week. Mr Baba asked the Lagos State police commissioner to arrest Seun and earlier this week, the singer handed himself in voluntarily at the headquarters of the Lagos State Police Command in Panti Street, Yaba.

Accompanied by a lawyer representing Falana Chambers, the law firm of popular human rights activist Femi Falana, Seun reported to the front desk, after which he was promptly arrested. He was subsequently handcuffed and his photograph taken in line with police procedure ahead of being charged to court.

Over the last few dramatic days, Seun has had his detention extended, his house has been searched twice and now, fellow detainees have named him general overseer. A copy of the Holy Bible was said to have been handed over to him as an instrument of his office, although the inmates initially rejected him.

At that stage, he reportedly promised to dole out N25,000 to them and he was directed to produce it without delay. He had to beg for the phone to call his wife who quickly brought the money which was handed over to the leader of the inmates.

Subsequently, the inmates accepted Seun and provided a space for him to sit down. However, Seun was so infuriated by the ugly development that played out that he refused to eat the food provided for him including that brought by his wife.

His hunger strike continued for almost a day and a half until he finally started eating and after that the inmates crowned him the general overseer of the cell and a bible was handed over to him. That means that he is presently leading the inmates in prayer sessions whenever the need arises after which they would all chorus.