Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer, over a petition by Tony Elumelu, Chairman of UBA Group, alleging defamation.
According to Omoyele Sowore, a 2023 presidential candidate and good governance advocate, Farotimi’s arrest was made known to him, prompting him to call for the lawyer’s immediate release.
Sowore condemned the use of the police to settle personal scores, emphasizing that citizens would no longer tolerate such actions.
He stated that the police at Zone 2 in Lagos should release Farotimi immediately. Farotimi, a well-known critic of government officials, has consistently argued from the citizens’ welfare standpoint.
“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,” Sowore stated.
The arrest is not Farotimi’s first encounter with the police. In November, he disclosed that the police were trying to abduct him after he received an invitation letter from the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos.
Upon arriving at the station, he was shown a petition accusing him of defamation, written by a lawyer on behalf of Elumelu.
The incident has sparked concerns about the tendency of Nigerian security outfits to weaponize arbitrary arrests against journalists and critics.
The police have previously detained lawyers and journalists under less-than-ideal circumstances and against the law.
Farotimi’s arrest has added to the growing unease about the erosion of freedom of speech and the targeting of critics by those in power.
