The Nigerian commentators also asked the reputable UK college to prevail on Babalola to get the Nigerian police to release human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, who is in detention.
Nigerians on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) have called on King’s College London in the United Kingdom to return the donation made by legal luminary Afe Babalola (SAN). The institution had named its Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education after him.
The Nigerian commentators also asked the reputable UK college to prevail on Babalola to get the Nigerian police to release human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, who is in detention.
The demand comes amid condemnation across Nigeria and globally, following the abduction of Farotimi in his residence in Lagos State by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from Ekiti State.
The “abduction” of Farotimi by the police was based on a petition against him by Babalola for alleged cybercrime.
Babalola had, through the petition, used the Nigerian police to arrest and remand human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
Reacting, @EmekekwueOnochi wrote: @KingsCollegeLon A human rights activitist @DeleFarotimi is being held captive against the rule of law sponsored by Afe Babalola. This is an attempt to stifle divergent voices in Nigeria. Do return his donation and distance yourself from him.
@justice4all002 wrote: The money should be return immediately by @KingsCollegeLon and cancel such useless centre@AllEyesAlert wrote: @KingsCollegeLon return Afe Babalola’s £10 million.. there are thousands of extremely poor in Ekiti where Afe hails from… remove Babalola’s name from ur Uni… the world is watching @KingsCollegeLon
@send2seyi wrote: It’s very sad that @KingsCollegeLon could accept donations from any Nigerian especially those who are PEP. Where is the morality of the management of this uni to accept donation from any Nigerian whose country has over 15m out of school children? Any due diligence done? Shameful?
@Ubayoo wrote: @KingsCollegeLon you need to do the needful the person that donated to your organization is a bully at 97
@joyphido1 wrote: Nigerian students cannot afford school fees, lecturers are not paid salaries etc, one individual is donating £10million to a university in UK which does not lack any money at all. Shame on @KingsCollegeLon for accepting money from corrupt politicians
It had been earlier reported that the King’s College London in the United Kingdom came under intense global pressure to cancel its Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education, and return his donation to the institution.
SaharaReporters reports that international writers, human rights groups and Nigerians globally were mounting the pressure on the foremost UK College to act on Babalola’s alleged abuse of powers.
SaharaReporters had earlier exclusively reported that the King’s College London was presently worried over its Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education, named after the Nigerian legal luminary, who is currently facing backlashes.
Top sources in the know of the matter had told SaharaReporters that the King’s College London reached out to Amnesty International, a global human rights organisation, for advisory on what to do.
Established in 2023, the Afe Babalola Centre enables King’s College London and its network of partners to provide young Africans with access to education and opportunities which they would otherwise not have.
