Seun Kuti recounts childhood visit to detained Fela, says mother hid cannabis in bread

Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has shared a personal childhood story involving his late parents, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Fehintola Kuti, during a period when the Afrobeat legend was in detention.

Speaking during a podcast aired on Thursday, Seun narrated how, as a young boy, he unknowingly delivered cannabis concealed inside a loaf of bread to his father while he was being held by security operatives.

According to him, the incident occurred when Fela was detained at the Federal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FIID) facility located in Alagbon Close, Lagos — a detention centre historically associated with high-profile cases.

Seun explained that he was about eight or nine years old at the time and had no knowledge of what he was carrying. He said his mother purchased a loaf of bread and asked him to hand it over to his father during their visit.

“We were going to visit my father, and my mum bought bread to give to him. She hid ‘Igbo’ inside the bread and asked me to hand it over when we got there,” he recalled.

He noted that, being unaware of the contents, he simply delivered the bread to Fela without suspicion.

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“Bear in mind, I was about eight or nine years old. I didn’t even know what was going on. I just got there and gave the bread to my dad,” he said.

Seun revealed that he only became aware of what had happened after they left the detention facility. According to him, his sister later informed him that cannabis had been hidden inside the bread. He added that their mother had intentionally kept him uninformed to reduce the risk of him accidentally revealing the secret during the prison visit.

“On our way home, my sister asked if I knew there was Igbo in the bread. My mum had told her but didn’t tell me because she knew I might have said something to the police,” he said.

The revelation has sparked fresh public conversations about the turbulent years of Fela’s clashes with security agencies, during which the Afrobeat icon faced multiple arrests and detentions.