The #FreeSeunKuti campaign has asked the Nigeria Police Force to drop what it described as trumped-up charges against the Nigeria singer, Seun Kuti, and release him from detention as he has met his bail conditions.
The campaign is supported by the African Action Congress (AAC), the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), the Movement of the People (MOP), the Socialist Equality Movement (SEM), the Movement for African Emancipation (MAE), Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) as well as other individuals.
The campaign made the demand in a statement released by social activist, Francis Nwapa, in which he called on Nigerian youths, workers and the general public to join in the #FreeSeunKuti campaign and the court sitting on May 23, 2023 at the Magistrate Court at Yaba, Lagos State.
According to Nwapa, “The campaign is to protest and demand that all trumped-up charges of Seun Kuti be dropped because we believe he has met all bail conditions. The campaign is also against the obnoxious attacks the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) unleashes daily on people’s democratic rights.
“The protest shall hold in Lagos, Abuja, and London tomorrow (Tuesday). And we are going to have a rally and demonstrations across these cities and other places well-meaning Nigerian youth want to organise peacefully.
“The protest rally is to give solidarity with Seun Kuti and also to demand an end to police brutality, which working-class youth and the oppressed people are facing at the hands of the police.
“It is alongside demanding that the government improve living conditions, create jobs, and provide social welfare adequately.
“October 2023 shall be three years after the brutal attack on democratic rights the state unleashed on the peaceful organised protests and demonstrations. Of course, this is not an #ENDSARS rally, however, the struggle against police brutality hasn't come to an end despite the claim that people's rights are protected.
“In Seun's case, we believe the police are manipulating the investigation and delaying to complete as we have suspected.
“In our open letter to the IGP, we stated that "while we understand that the altercation as seen in the video is self-defence (and even if the slap was unprovoked, it will only be a minor misdemeanour).
“We are also calling on the police to conduct and conclude a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident within the 48 hours stipulated by the court, to establish full facts and to ensure that justice is served."
“But what we have seen is that the police are delaying coming up with their investigation as the court has ordered. We want to use this medium to reaffirm that Nigerian youth must not fold their hands and be quiet to protest against the continuous and rapacious attacks on democratic rights as we have seen videos of police brutality in the last few weeks on social media.
“We believe only through solidarity and well organise actions can police brutality come to an end vis-a-vis the system of inequality, poverty, and starvation.”
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