News

Arrest: Human Right Lawyer Alleges Police Of Impunity, Threat To Life

ByHafsoh Isiaq

PublishedDecember 3, 2024

Dele Farotimi, a human rights advocate, has raised alarm, alleging officers attached to the Ekiti police command of plotting to abduct him from Lagos, sparking fears for his life and concerns about police impunity.

Osun Defender earlier reported that the lawyer was arrested Tuesday evening by the Nigeria Police Force over alleged defamation of Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the UBA Group.

Before his arrest, Farotimi had accused the command of deploying questionable means to lure him for arrest despite honouring the invitation of the Zone 2 police headquarters in Lagos.

Giving an account of what transpired during a press conference on Monday, the public affairs analyst said the police is acting on a petition allegedly filed by Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

“On Monday, the 11th of November 2024, I was informed that an invitation letter from Zone 2 police command was delivered to my office,” he said.

“The letter requested that I report to the station on Wednesday, the 13th of November 2024, at 10:00 AM.

“Accompanied by my legal counsel, I arrived at the station at 9:45 AM on the stated date.

“At the station, I was presented with a petition written by a lawyer on behalf of Mr. Tony Elumelu, accusing me of defamation.

“Despite finding the petition baseless, I addressed its content. Subsequently, I met with the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) and the assistant inspector-general (AIG) in charge of Zone 2.

“After discussions, I was released on bail on self-recognisance and asked to return to the station on Thursday, 21st November 2024.

“Following this, I informed my friend, Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon of Realm of Glory International Churches, about the incident.

“On Saturday, the 16th of November 2024, Pastor Sam informed me that one of the pastors in his church, John Ntekume, had been interrogated by the police, and then returned to the church.

“He was coerced to write a statement along with another pastor, Obiorah Ochokwu.

“The police showed them a petition written by Chief Afe Babalola in Ekiti state, addressed to the Ekiti state police command, and demanded that they lure me to the church to facilitate my arrest.

“The pastors informed the police that they had no means of doing so, as I am not a hidden person and do not have a direct relationship with them.

“They explained that I had preached at their church as a guest of their senior pastor and left. From their accounts, it became evident that the officers were from the Ekiti state Police.

“I found it perplexing that the police would attempt to lure me through such means, especially since I had already reported to Zone 2 on the 13th of November 2024 and was scheduled to return on the 21st of November 2024.

“During my visit, I even met with the assistant inspector-general of police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, who supervises the entire south-west police formations.

“I honoured the invitation on the 21st of November 2024 again in the company of my legal counsel and was permitted to leave.

“However, I subsequently began receiving suspicious messages from individuals clearly attempting to lure me to certain locations where I feared I might be.

“It became evident that these individuals were operating outside standard procedures.”

Farotimi accused the police of trying to use his domestic workers to lure him.

To my dismay, the situation escalated when one of my domestic staff was targeted,” he said.

“These individuals contacted him, claiming to have a package for him at Evron Food Store on Chevron Drive, Lekki.

“Having been forewarned, he asked them to leave the package with the store’s security personnel.

“When their attempts to coerce the security guard into luring my staff failed, they arrested the guard, took him to Zone 2 Police Station, and questioned him about my home address and wife’s contact information. The security guard was released on bail later that evening.

“I must reiterate that I am a law-abiding citizen. I have consistently honoured every lawful invitation by the Nigeria Police Force.

“However, these recent developments — targeting my associates, tracking my phone, and harassing innocent individuals are deeply concerning.

“It has therefore become clear, and it is no longer hidden, that there are policemen from the Ekiti State Police Command who are currently working out of Zone 2 Police Station on a mission to abduct me.”

‘MY BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN LAGOS’

Farotimi added that his comments about Babalola were in a book published in Lagos and not Ekiti.

“If I have committed a crime, it was not done in Ekiti State. I live in Lagos, I work in Lagos, and every event described in my book occurred in Lagos State. The res (matter) is in Lagos,” he said.

“What I alleged Chief Afe Babalola did, he did in Lagos. I published my book in Lagos.

“If I have done anything deserving of criminalisation, those acts occurred in Lagos state. All we have seen so far is unbridled impunity unleashed on a citizen.

“I wrote a book and called it ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’. There is justice for the accused, there is justice for the victim, and there must be justice for the state.”

Hafsoh Isiaq

Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.