"Are you crazy? Are you mad?" Seun Kuti could be heard shouting at the policeman in Pigeon English, while pacing against the officer who kept attempting to stand away from Mr. Kuti's demanding and very uncomfortable gestures. Unfortunately for Seun Kuti, and fortunately for the police officer, there were no videos to clearly show how the officer might have offended Seun Kuti to warrant such a flaunting of privilege and blatant assault on a police officer, that any ordinary citizen of Nigeria would have been killed or badly beaten up, for standing up to a Nigerian police officer on duty, or off duty.

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Now Nigerians are voicing their opinions on what they have seen and read in the news media. People who have been so badly abused by Nigeria's police, but were never empowered to "lash out" to the police like Seun Kuti has done, are praising Seun Kuti. Without knowing exactely everything that may have transpired between the police officer and the legendary Anikulapo Kuti son, they are saying that Nigeria's police had it coming for a long time.

In a country where a majority of the youth claim that the police stop, harass and extort them without cause, it is no wonder that Seun Kuti has fulfilled a fantasy in these Nigerians who are not bold enough to behave the way Seun Kuti has behaved. Without the possibility of having influence and privilege to stand behind you, ordinary Nigerians have continued to tremble, pay up, stay imprisoned or die in encounters with the Nigerian police who are sworn to preserve and protect the lives and rights of Nigerians.

However, many Nigerians bearing heavily on the side of simple caution and common sense, are quick to warn that Nigerians should not be too eager to go about slapping police officers like Seun Kuti has done. It is surely one of the quickest ways for one to meet one's own death. Forget about demanding your civil rights o; Look even to America, the leading country where the principles of all these rights originated from, many innocent citizens have lost their lives at the discretion of a police officer, or in an uncalculated mistake from the very same victims. So, most Nigerians are saying that Nigeria's police, as a human force, is not different from many police forces in the world, in front of the unique difficulties which every country face.

There is no one single way to behave when confronted with an opportunity to interact with the police in Nigeria. Everyone must react according to how they find themselves in the situations of their police encounter. Generally, being in a friendly demeanor always instantly attracts the same effect from a police officer who is there to do a job. It will be noted that this usually lowers the tension on both sides.

Still, there are some police officers who may be having a bad day, and there are some people, who when they are in front of the police, the guilty spirit of many crimes they may have committed, or may be in the process of committing, gives them away in the eyes of very skilled police investigators. In that case many have found themselves at crossroads when their efforts to clear themselves, belittle the intelligence of the police officers. In cases like that in Nigeria, your money or influence might become your only saviour until such a time that they can no longer be.

SEUN KUTI, OF ALL PEOPLE?

In the case of Seun Kuti there are all likelihoods that he should never have been a candidate for any "petty" issues with officers of the Nigerian police force. This is because most members of Nigeria's police have their soft spots for Nigerian celebrities; unless of course, when some celebrities are trying to be "too smart" for the police, or trying to use the police to boost their views and subscribers on social media. There is also a possibility that a celebrity could be "targeted".

That been said, Seun Kuti could even qualify for courtesy or paid police escorts in any city in Nigeria, during which time the police would go out of their way to demonstrate to a VIP like Seun Kuti that the police are on his side. But Seun Kuti really came out as someone who did not prefer to use polity or diplomacy to have the majority weight of public opinion on his side. Instead, the police, the ones people say are the villian, was seen quiet and non threatening enough, to be seen as the victim in this viral video. Yes, the policeman came off looking as the one who was assaulted and terrorized by Seun Kuti, for whatever reason that may become better known later.

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To further prove that Nigerian police cannot be a punching bag, the aggrieved police officer trailed Mr. Seun Kuti to his residence after Mr. Kuti had thought that he had postured his best position on that incident which occurred on the Third Mainland bridge in Lagos. First, Seun made statements saying that the officer had apologized to him and pleaded as if he was interested for the officer not to loose his job. But the media reported that it was Seun Kuti who apologized to the police officer with a gift or "bribe" of twelve thousand naira, (About US$10.00). The intelligent police officer immediately made a complaint and deposited the money exhibit with authorities.

Seun Kuti has now packed up some of the most influential lawyers in Nigeria to defend him as the police took him into custody in a very public and humiliating manner. As this case has now taken center stage in Nigeria's news media, the public is waiting to see what will become of Seun Kuti. One cannot help but wonder if Seun is not trying to bring back the ghost of his father's police activism days. Indeed, it had been so deadly quiet in the Anikulapo family since the death of Seun's father, Elegba, Fela Anikulapo, "Not Ransome" Kuti.

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