Nigerian Afrobeat artist and activist Seun Kuti has condemned the recent arrest of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, warning against empowering the police as tools of oppression. In a video shared on social media, Kuti emphasized the dangers of using the police to silence critics and underscored how such actions threaten freedom of speech in the country.
“We cannot be in a society where you cannot speak your mind against anybody and you go straight to the police to arrest people!” Kuti stated, expressing his concerns about the implications of the growing trend of police involvement in silencing dissent. His statement reflects the belief that this behavior could lead to long-term consequences for Nigerian democracy.
The Afrobeat artist further cautioned that granting the police such authority would create a dangerous precedent. “Once you give police that power to give people that power too, they would take advantage of it,” he said. Kuti’s warning highlights the potential for abuse when law enforcement is given the power to act against individuals for expressing differing opinions.
In his video, Kuti made it clear that allowing this practice to become widespread could result in severe repercussions for Nigerian society. “If we allow this to continue or allow it to stand, we would have a problem,” Kuti added, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and resist any attempt to normalize such behavior.
Kuti also referenced the earlier arrest of social media influencer VeryDarkMan, drawing attention to the dangers of supporting such arrests. “I’ve told you all not to allow this thing to become a habit. You all were happy when VeryDarkMan was arrested. But are you happy now? Are you?” he asked, prompting his followers to reflect on the broader implications of such actions.
