There have been reactions over the report arrest of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi by Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force.
Farotimi’s arrest was revealed by the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
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Sowore called for the lawyer’s immediate release, emphasising that the police should not be used to settle personal disputes.
Mr Sowore 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.’’
He stated, “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.”
Also, the Social and Economic Rights Accountability Project, SERAP, has also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to release activist Dele Farotimi.
SERAP cautioned the Nigerian government against using criminal defamation laws to turn critics into criminals.
Posting on X, SERAP wrote: “BREAKING: The Tinubu administration must immediately release activist Dele Farotimi, who is reportedly arrested for alleged defamation.
“Nigerian authorities should not be using criminal defamation laws to turn critics into criminals and undermine freedom of expression.”
On her part, Aisha Yesufu wondered when the police would stop being a weapon of oppression.
“What the heck is going on? Mr. Dele Farotimi @DeleFarotimi arrested by police and whereabouts unknown? @PoliceNG when will you stop being a weapon of oppression?
“They want to silence voices #FreeDeleFarotimiNow,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr. Adeniran Akinwale, told a newspaper that the lawyer was arrested for various alleged offences.
The commissioner said that the offences committed included “defamation of character, cyberstalking, and other things. But those two are fully established.
“That was why we have been looking for him before we were able to arrest him.
“We are investigating him. If the suspect is arrested, we will bring him for investigation. We will conduct our investigation and will be able to know his level of culpability or otherwise.”