Human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has been remanded in prison custody, just 24 hours after being forcibly taken by police operatives from Lagos to Ekiti State over a defamation petition filed by prominent lawyer Afe Babalola.
Mr. Farotimi was reportedly abducted from his Lagos office on Tuesday and transported to Ekiti, where Mr. Babalola resides. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from Nigerians and legal professionals alike.
Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, confirmed the remand on Wednesday, stating that the case has been adjourned to December 10.
“The Nigerian justice system is whack. As expected, @DeleFarotimi has been hurriedly prosecuted and sent to prison after being denied bail by a judge in Ado Ekiti pre-arranged to do the same,” Mr. Sowore wrote on X.
Criticizing the police, Mr. Babalola, and the judiciary, Mr. Sowore added, “The @PoliceNG, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, and judicial officers had it all planned out even before they sent the goons from Ekiti State Command RRS (formerly SARS) to abduct him.”
The arrest has fueled debate about the criminalization of defamation in Nigeria, as defamation is a civil matter under the law. Prior to his arrest, Mr. Farotimi had raised concerns that Mr. Babalola might leverage his influence in Ekiti to manipulate the legal process.
Nigerian lawyers have expressed outrage over the incident. Lawyer Inibehe Effiong criticized the logistical lengths the police went to, stating on X:
“The distance from Lagos to Ekiti State is over 7 hours. There is no airport in Ekiti. That is the horrendous journey the @PoliceNG embarked on for an alleged case of defamation. Dele Farotimi wrote about the rot in the Nigerian Criminal Justice System, and he is experiencing it in real time.”
Activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju also condemned the incident, writing, “Police kidnapped a lawyer from Lagos and drove him all the way to Ekiti over a defamation issue, and you wonder why Nigeria is cursed. This petition was filed by a sage in the legal profession, Baba Afe Babalola. May we not descend this low in old age. Shame!”
