Reno Omokri, a notable political activist, is pleading for the release of the renowned singer, Seun Kuti, who is claimed to be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Seun Kuti turned himself over to the police after an arrest warrant was issued for him following an alleged assault on an officer. Despite being granted bail by a magistrate court in Lagos shortly after his arrest, Seun has remained in police custody.
Taking to Twitter, Reno Omokri condemned Seun's actions while attributing them to the singer's traumatic experiences during his childhood. Omokri recounted how Seun's septuagenarian grandmother was beaten and thrown from the first floor to the ground by the police and military, resulting in her death. Seun's father, the legendary Fela Kuti, had to carry his mother's coffin to Dodan Barracks, grieving over the injustice. The family has reportedly faced multiple instances of violence, including severe beatings, property destruction, and raids on their shrine by the police over the years, causing lasting scars on Seun's psyche.
Omokri on PTSD claims
"What Seun did was wrong, and I condemn it," Omokri stated. "But Seun has a history with the police and the military that has scarred him for life. They beat his septuagenarian grandmother and threw her from the first floor to the ground. She died from the injuries sustained. His father carried her coffin to Dodan Barracks in tears! Till today, nobody was punished for the crime against Olufunmilayo Kuti. They beat his father to an inch of his life, multiple times. They burnt down their residence, along with multiple vehicles and other property. They were never compensated for their losses. The police raided the shrine episodically, starting from when Seun was just a baby and continuing into his adulthood."
"Even in this incident involving the slap, there was provocation from the policeman," Omokri added. "I am not saying that the provocation justified the slap. My motive is just to put things in context. What he did was condemnable and unacceptable. However, when you look at his personal history, there are mitigating circumstances. I beg the Inspector General of Police to take Seun's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder into account. After all, even Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Buhari, admitted that her husband also suffers from PTSD due to his experiences with the Nigerian state apparatus. The police institution is as much to blame for what happened to that policeman as Seun himself. Let us consider the full story here, not just the pursuit of justice."
What Seun did was wrong. And I condemn it. But Seun has a history with the police and the military that has scarred him for life. They beat his Septuagenarian grandmother and threw her from the first floor to the ground. She died from the injuries sustained. His father carried… pic.twitter.com/8jhHHKgguB