Advocates Condemn the Arrest of Human Rights Activist, Dele Farotimi
Advocates in the cultural and civil rights space have condemned the arrest of Dele Farotimi, a lawyer, author and human rights activist.
His arrest was said to have been conducted by the Ekiti State police. The arrest was made in response to the petition filed by Aare Afe Babalola SAN alleging defamation and cyberbullying. The activist has been charged to court for criminal libel. Meanwhile, Babalola is seeking a court order to remove all hard copies of the book from circulation.
In a joint statement signed by the Executive Producer, Unchained Vibes Africa, Ayodele Ganiu; musician, social activist and Olympics torchbearer, Eedris Abdulkareem; International Human Rights Lawyer/Recipient of the U.S. Secretary of State’s International Religious Freedom Award, Kola Alapinni; Culture Advocate and Chair, Unchained Vibes Africa, Jahman Anikulapo and Advocacy Manager, Unchained Vibes Africa, Sola Alamutu, the group calls on authority to be guided by the rule of law.
“Earlier, in a press release dated December 2nd, 2024, the activist revealed that he had been questioned at the Zone 2 headquarters in Lagos in connection to a petition filed by Mr Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA). He also disclosed that the police officers from Ekiti command were acting on another petition allegedly filed by Chief Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), adding that his comments about Chief Babalola were in a book published in Lagos and not Ekiti.
“This arrest, which has been described as an abduction by social media observers, constitutes an abuse of the police institution and its deployment as an instrument of oppression against dissent.”
The group calls for the immediate release of Dele Farotimi, urging the Nigerian Police to institute a full investigation into this impunity. claiming that allegations of defamation can be resolved in civil courts.
“Activists should not face criminal charges for writing critical stories about public figures or institutions. Criminalizing defamation is antithetical to the principles of an open and democratic society.”
Using the #FreeDeleFarotimiNow, the petition has been widely circulated across various social media platforms.
Bookstores in Nigeria have reportedly run out of Dele Farotimi’s controversial book as Nigerians race to read the story proclaiming “how Afe Babalola corrupted judicial system for decades.”
Babalola, 95, is a leading advocate who was called to the English bar in 1963. He is the founder of Afe Babalola University.
