The former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has expressly condemned the arrest and detention of lawyer and human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi, noting that “it serves as a grim reminder of the dark days of military dictatorship when the iron fist of tyranny sought to crush all dissent.”
Atiku, who bared his mind in a statement via his X page, on Wednesday, criticised the use of state forces to suppress dissent and limit free expression.
Farotimi was arrested yesterday in Lagos State.
The news of his arrest broke after Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, shared it on his X handle.
However, the police spokesperson at the Zone 2 Command, SP Ummar Ayuba, denied the arrest claim.
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Adeniran Akinwale, confirmed Farotimi’s arrest.
Akinwale stated that the arrest was made in connection with several alleged offences, including “defamation of character, cyberstalking, and other related charges.”
He maimed that the first two offences have been fully established.
On Wednesday, an Ekiti State Chief Magistrates Court in Ado Ekiti ordered the remand of Farotimi at the state’s correctional centre.
He was arraigned in court over alleged defamation related to his book “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System”, where he accused the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, of compromising the Supreme Court.
Reacting, Atiku in his statement said: “The arrest and detention of lawyer and human rights advocate, @DeleFarotimi, is unequivocally condemned. It serves as a grim reminder of the dark days of military dictatorship when the iron fist of tyranny sought to crush all dissent.
“I am made aware that Dele is being accused of defamation — an offense that, under normal circumstances, should not warrant the involvement of law enforcement. The Police’s intervention in such matters is nothing less than the use of a sledgehammer to swat a fly, an overreach of unimaginable proportions.
“This alarming trend, particularly the recent abduction — or rather, the arrest — of Dele Farotimi, is emblematic of this administration’s insidious agenda to suffocate the fundamental right to free expression.
“The aim is clear: to intimidate and harass citizens, particularly those who oppose the regime and the press, thus paving the way for the establishment of a one-party state. It is imperative to remind the Tinubu administration that these repeated acts of arrest stand in direct contradiction to the principles of democracy.
“Freedom of speech and association are not privileges but constitutionally enshrined rights. If anyone feels wronged by defamatory words, they are free to seek redress in the courts, not at the hands of the state’s enforcers.
“It is an appalling abuse of power to use the Police as a tool for personal vendettas. In 2019, I was defamed. I did not involve the Police to flex muscles and intimidate the defaming citizen, but I took the case to court where I am currently seeking reliefs for the injuries to my name and integrity. Therefore, I call for the immediate and unconditional release of Dele Farotimi.”
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