Commissioner of police in Ekiti State Adeniran Akinwale has said that human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi was arrested for various alleged offences.
The commissioner said on Tuesday that the offences committed included defamation of character, cyberstalking and others.
“That was why we have been looking for him before we were able to arrest him,” Akinwale told PUNCH.
“We are investigating him. If the suspect is arrested, we will bring him for investigation. We will conduct our investigation and will be able to know his level of culpability or otherwise.”
Earlier, the publisher of Sahara Reporters Omoyele Sowore had said the police arrested Farotimi over allegations of defaming the chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA Group) Tony Elumelu.
Mr Sowore said on X that Mr Elumelu filed a petition accusing Farotimi of defamation.
“I just learned that Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Nigerian Police over a petition by Tony Elumelu of UBA Group alleging Dele defamed him,” he wrote.
“It is pertinent that the Nigerian police are notified that the institution cannot continue to be used to settle personal scores, and we, the citizens of Nigeria, would no longer tolerate such a situation.
“Therefore, the police at Zone 2 in Lagos are advised to release Barrister Dele Farotimi immediately.”
In a statement he titled “They Want to Silence Me” on Monday, Farotimi accused law enforcement of using coercive and unconventional tactics to intimidate him and his associates.
He also alleged that a prominent lawyer in Ekiti Afe Babalola wrote a petition against him.
Falana reveals reason behind Dele Farotimi’s arrest
In another development, human rights lawyer Femi Falana has disclosed that lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi was arrested for alleged criminal libel.
Falana, who said Farotimi was arrested in Lagos State on Tuesday, is demanding his unconditional release from illegal custody.
In a statement he signed, Falana said: “I just confirmed that Mr Dele Farotimi was arrested in Lagos today for alleged criminal libel. In demanding Mr Farotimi’s unconditional release from illegal custody, I wish to state, without any fear of contradiction, that Lagos State is among the two states in Nigeria that have decriminalised defamation in its entirety.
“In fact, the current state of the law was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Aviomoh v Commissioner of Police & Anor. (2021) LPELR-55203(SC), when Helen Ogunwumiju JSC held that “defamation was decriminalised in the Criminal Law of Lagos in 2011 and Edo State Criminal Law Bill 2020.”
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| Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi |
The commissioner said on Tuesday that the offences committed included defamation of character, cyberstalking and others.
“That was why we have been looking for him before we were able to arrest him,” Akinwale told PUNCH.
“We are investigating him. If the suspect is arrested, we will bring him for investigation. We will conduct our investigation and will be able to know his level of culpability or otherwise.”
Earlier, the publisher of Sahara Reporters Omoyele Sowore had said the police arrested Farotimi over allegations of defaming the chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA Group) Tony Elumelu.
Mr Sowore said on X that Mr Elumelu filed a petition accusing Farotimi of defamation.
“I just learned that Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Nigerian Police over a petition by Tony Elumelu of UBA Group alleging Dele defamed him,” he wrote.
“It is pertinent that the Nigerian police are notified that the institution cannot continue to be used to settle personal scores, and we, the citizens of Nigeria, would no longer tolerate such a situation.
“Therefore, the police at Zone 2 in Lagos are advised to release Barrister Dele Farotimi immediately.”
In a statement he titled “They Want to Silence Me” on Monday, Farotimi accused law enforcement of using coercive and unconventional tactics to intimidate him and his associates.
He also alleged that a prominent lawyer in Ekiti Afe Babalola wrote a petition against him.
Falana reveals reason behind Dele Farotimi’s arrest
 |
| Human rights lawyer Femi Falana |
In another development, human rights lawyer Femi Falana has disclosed that lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi was arrested for alleged criminal libel.
Falana, who said Farotimi was arrested in Lagos State on Tuesday, is demanding his unconditional release from illegal custody.
In a statement he signed, Falana said: “I just confirmed that Mr Dele Farotimi was arrested in Lagos today for alleged criminal libel. In demanding Mr Farotimi’s unconditional release from illegal custody, I wish to state, without any fear of contradiction, that Lagos State is among the two states in Nigeria that have decriminalised defamation in its entirety.
“In fact, the current state of the law was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Aviomoh v Commissioner of Police & Anor. (2021) LPELR-55203(SC), when Helen Ogunwumiju JSC held that “defamation was decriminalised in the Criminal Law of Lagos in 2011 and Edo State Criminal Law Bill 2020.”
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