Alleged Defamation: how Dele Farotimi predicted his arrest

Lawyer and Human Rights Activist Dele Farotimi's arrest, arraignment and imprisonment have sparked outrage over the ethical use of the rule of law.

On Tuesday, November 28, 2024, Farotimi was arrested by the Ekiti State Police Command, ostensibly over allegations of defamation and cyberbullying. The allegations stemmed from a petition filed by Afe Babalola, accusing Farotimi of defamatory remarks in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.

However, in a fast judgement, Farotimi was arraigned before Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun in Ado Ekiti on 16 court charges, and was remanded in prison till December 10, until investigations into the case were concluded.

While the NBA and other legal laurels had called for the release of Farotimi, the human rights activist had a foreknowledge of his arrest.

Farotimi disclosed fears of arrest following a summons by the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos on November 11 2024. In the summon, the police requested him to report to the Zone 2 Police Command on November 13, 2024.

Giving this revelation via his X account, Farotimi arrived at the command at 9:45 AM, against the 10:00 AM time he was given. He spoke with the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), and he was released on bail on self-recognizance and was asked to return to the station on Thursday, November 21 2024.

However, Farotimi's suspicion of foul play arose when one of the pastors in his church, John Ntekume, was abducted on November 16, 2024, by the police, interrogated, and then returned to the church prior to his 21st re-invitation by the police.

Ntekume, and Obiorah Ochokwu, both pastors of Realm of Glory International Churches, were coerced into writing statemens, Farotimi revealed.

The pastors were shown a petition written by Chief Are Babalola in Ekiti State, which was addressed to the Ekiti State Police Command, and demanded that they lure Farotimi to church to facilitate his arrest, a plot the pastors refused to comply with.

Expressing his disappointment at the act, Farotimi said, "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 November 13 2024 and was scheduled to return on November 21 2024. During my visit, I even met with the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, who supervises the entire Southwest police formations."

Chiding the acts of the police, whom he accused of intimidating his staff and those close to him, Farotimi disclosed, "I wrote a book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. I wrote the truth, and I stand by every single word in that book. Should anyone be aggrieved, there are clear provisions for redress. Even if one elects to pursue criminal proceedings and attempts to criminalize free speech, as Chief Afe Babalola is attempting to do, there is still a lawful process to follow. It is no accident that the Ekiti State Police Command has been enlisted in this injustice and has become an instrument of evl."

Despite all the melodrama, Farotimi further disclosed that he honoured the November 21 2024, invitation in the presence of his counsel and was permitted to leave. Raising his suspicion further, Farotimi said,

"I subsequently began receiving suspicious messages from individuals clearly attempting to lure me to certain locations where I feared I might be abducted. It became evident that these individuals were operating outside standard procedures.

"As a precaution, I approached the Lagos State High Court, seeking enforcement and protection of my fundamental human rights against these unconventional tactics. I also alerted my associates and staff, urging them to exercise caution.

"To my dismay, the situation escalated when one of my domestic staff was targeted. 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."

Chiding the acts of the police, whom he accused of intimidating his staff and those close to him, Farotimi disclosed, "I wrote a book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. I wrote the truth, and I stand by every single word in that book. Should anyone be aggrieved, there are clear provisions for redress. Even if one elects to pursue criminal proceedings and attempts to criminalize free speech, as Chief Afe Babalola is attempting to do, there is still a lawful process to follow. It is no accident that the Ekiti State Police Command has been enlisted in this injustice and has become an instrument of evil."

"Chief Afe Babalola is the largest employer of labour and the highest taxpayer in Ekiti State. Abducting me to be tried in Ekiti State is not justice but a witch hunt. I am being prepared for the gallows by Chief Afe Babalola and his minions, who are doing his bidding in Ekiti State. 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 rest is in Lagos. What I alleged Chief Afe Babalola did, he did in Lagos. I published my book in Lagos. If I have done anything deserving of criminalization, those acts occurred in Lagos State. All we have seen so far is unbridled impunity unleashed on a citizen.

"I wrote a book called 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. For the accused to have justice, the scale must not only be balanced but it must also clearly be seen as balanced. Deploying this police impunity in pursuit of me when I could simply be invited clearly shows the level of evil that has been unleashed against me.

"Truth dies in darkness. Darkness is when you see the truth and do not speak or are intimidated into silence."

Farotimi was later arrested at his firm.