Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has been arrested following a defamation petition filed by a complainant. The petition accuses Farotimi of making defamatory statements in a public forum.
According to sources, Farotimi had been previously vocal about threats to his life, alleging that Nigerian elites were collaborating with security agencies and legal practitioners to intimidate him.
The arrest occurred after Farotimi received an invitation from the police on November 11, 2024, requesting his presence at the Zone 2 Command in Lagos on November 13.
Arriving with his legal counsel, Farotimi was presented with the petition. Despite deeming it baseless, he addressed the accusations.
The arrest has sparked widespread condemnation. Prominent human rights activist Omoyele Sowore criticized the police for using the legal system to settle personal grievances, calling for Farotimi’s immediate release. Sowore also emphasized that Nigerians would no longer tolerate using police powers for individual disputes.
While Sowore’s statement on X (formerly Twitter) demanded Farotimi’s release, a police spokesperson at Zone 2, SP Ummar Ayuba, denied the arrest.
Ayuba told PUNCH Online, “We did not make any arrest. He is not in our custody.”
However, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr. Adeniran Akinwale, revealed that Farotimi was being investigated for defamation of character, cyberstalking, and other related offenses.
Akinwale confirmed that the police had been actively pursuing Farotimi before the arrest and would conduct further investigations to determine his level of culpability.
The situation remains ongoing as the public and legal community react to Farotimi’s arrest and the ongoing investigation.
