Police Arrest Dele Farotimi Over Alleged Defamation

Nigerian Human Rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has reportedly been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force.

Naija News learnt that Farotimi was arrested on Tuesday over a petition by Tony Elumelu of UBA Group alleging that the human rights advocate defamed him.

A 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, hinted about Farotimi’s arrest in a post via his official X handle on Tuesday.

He wrote: “I just learned that Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Nigerian Police over a petition by Tony Elumelu of UBA Group alleging Dele defamed him. It is pertinent that the Nigerian police are notified that the institution cannot continue to be used to settle personal scores, and we, the citizens of Nigeria, would no longer tolerate such a situation. Therefore, the police at Zone 2 in Lagos are advised to release Barrister Dele Farotimi immediately.”

Farotimi had earlier claimed that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have devised a scheme to abduct him from Lagos.

Farotimi accused the Police of employing dubious tactics to entice him into an arrest despite his compliance with an invitation from the Zone 2 police headquarters in Lagos.

Naija News reports that Farotimi disclosed this during a press conference held on Monday. The public affairs analyst stated that the police are responding to a petition purportedly submitted by Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

“On Monday, the 11th of November 2024, I was informed that an invitation letter from Zone 2 police command was delivered to my office,” he said.

“The letter requested that I report to the station on Wednesday, the 13th of November 2024, at 10:00 AM.

“Accompanied by my legal counsel, I arrived at the station at 9:45 AM on the stated date.

“At the station, I was presented with a petition written by a lawyer on behalf of Mr. Tony Elumelu, accusing me of defamation.

“Despite finding the petition baseless, I addressed its content. Subsequently, I met with the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) and the assistant inspector-general (AIG) in charge of Zone 2.

“After discussions, I was released on bail on self-recognisance and asked to return to the station on Thursday, 21st November 2024.

“Following this, I informed my friend, Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon of Realm of Glory International Churches, about the incident.

“On Saturday, the 16th of November 2024, Pastor Sam informed me that one of the pastors in his church, John Ntekume, had been interrogated by the police and then returned to the church.

“He was coerced to write a statement along with another pastor, Obiorah Ochokwu.

“The police showed them a petition written by Chief Afe Babalola in Ekiti state, addressed to the Ekiti state police command, and demanded that they lure me to the church to facilitate my arrest.

“The pastors informed the police that they had no means of doing so, as I am not a hidden person and do not have a direct relationship with them.

“They explained that I had preached at their church as a guest of their senior pastor and left. From their accounts, it became evident that the officers were from the Ekiti state Police.”

The police have previously apprehended lawyers and journalists under unfavorable conditions and in violation of the law.

In May, officers forcibly took Daniel Ojukwu of the Federation of International Journalists (FIJ) into custody, where he remained for ten days. It was only due to persistent media scrutiny and public indignation that the police ultimately released him.

In December 2023, several officers unlawfully arrested and detained Ben-Kingsley Nwashara, a single father who had left his young daughter at home, in Enugu. During his detention, he was threatened with violence while in a cell. Nwashara was released only after news of his illegal detention became widely known.

There is an increasing apprehension regarding the propensity of Nigerian security forces to exploit arbitrary arrests as a means of targeting journalists and dissenters within the nation.