The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi; human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN); and Yoruba apex socio-political group, Afenifere, have demanded the release of rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, who was arrested on Tuesday by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Ekiti State Police Command has since confirmed his arrest and detention based on a petition to the Commissioner of Police.
According to the command, Farotimi, a chieftain of the Labour Party and member of the National Caucus of Afenifere, was arrested for defamation of character and cyberbullying.
Speaking on the arrest, Obi, in a tweet on his X handle, said: “I just learned of the arrest of Dele Farotimi, a respected human rights lawyer and advocate, over an allegation of defamation.
“This action is a gross misuse of police powers and a grave assault on the principles of democracy and justice in Nigeria.
“I condemn this action in totality. It represents not only an attempt to intimidate opposing voices from questioning authority.
“It is also a worrying signal to every Nigerian who loves and values freedom of expression and dares to demand accountability and transparency.
“As a private citizen, former governor, and even today, I am frequently defamed, insulted, and lied about and against.
“Yet, I have never resorted to using the Nigerian police or filing reports to silence others.
“I hereby request that Dele Farotimi should be released immediately and unconditionally.
“The police must recognize that their allegiance is to the Constitution and the people of Nigeria, not to narrow interests at the behest of those in power.
“A new more Just and fair Nigeria is possible.”
Reacting to Farotimi’s arrest, Falana said in a statement: “I just confirmed that Mr Dele Farotimi was arrested in Lagos today (yesterday) for alleged criminal libel.
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“In demanding for Mr Farotimi’s unconditionally release from illegal custody, I wish to state, without any fear of contradiction, that Lagos State is among the two states in Nigeria that have decriminalised defamation in its entirety.
“In fact, the current state of the law was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Aviomoh v Commissioner of Police & Anor. (2021) LPELR-55203(SC) when Helen Ogunwumiju JSC held that ‘Defamation was decriminalised in the Criminal Law of Lagos in 2011 and Edo State Criminal Law Bill 2020.’”
Afenifere, in a statement by Oba Oladipo Olaitan, its Deputy Leader, and Prince Justice Faloye, National Publicity Secretary, said: “It has come to our notice that one of our own, Dele Farotimi was this morning abducted and whisked away from his law office at Lekki, Lagos for undisclosed reasons by Police men of the Rapid Response Squad assaulting also other lawyers, workers and forcefully snatching their phones to prevent communications of the official terrorist attack.
“According to a statement released this evening by a Sunday Abutu identified as Ekiti State Police spokesman, members of the Ekiti police force came to Lagos to arrest Mr Dele Farotimi based on a petition of ‘defamation of character and cyberbullying’ by an undisclosed petitioner.
“Mr Dele Farotimi had issued a press statement that there is a plan to abduct him to Ekiti State over allegations of defamation in his book.
“It is believed that defamation is not a criminal offence that warrants such manner of arrest.
“Afenifere condemns this act of the security agency as most unacceptable in a country that lays claims to democratic practices. Afenifere hereby calls for the immediate release of Dele Farotimi or that he be taken to court immediately as he is presumed innocent of all charges, the proof of which is the burden of his accusers no matter how highly placed.
“Dele Farotimi is a known critic of government, an anti-corruption crusader in the judiciary and advocate of equity and true federalism and should not be subjected to terror under the guise of interrogation for nebulous allegations by the security forces and other agencies of government.”
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