Farotimi saw his ordeal coming, having taken on lawyers and Judges for years in his fight against corruption in the judicial system
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“I wrote the truth, and I stand by every single word in that book. Should anyone be aggrieved, there are clear provisions for redress ….
“Abducting me to be tried in Ekiti State is not justice but a witchhunt. 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 res 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 criminalisation, those acts occurred in Lagos State. All we have seen so far is unbridled impunity unleashed on a citizen” – Farotimi before his arrest by the police
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Dele Farotimi did envisage some trouble for himself spearheading for years judicial activism to name, shame, and help weed out from the system those he sees as corrupt or enablers of corruption that lawyers and Judges alike acknowledge in the Bench and Bar.
The fearless lawyer and human rights activist once took on Olukayode Ariwoola live on Arise Television when he was in office as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Farotimi insisted he was expressing his views, not those of the broadcaster, for which he would take personal responsibility if Ariwoola contradicted his public submissions.
In his yeoman fight, Farotimi had previously been briefly detained at police Zone 2 headquarters in Lagos after he was invited and after he had expressed concern over a plot by policemen from Ekiti to abduct him.
His announcement came more than three years after he voiced a similar concern over assassination threats on his life.
A statement Farotimi submitted to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) on Monday, which he later published on X (Twitter) on Tuesday, disclosed that the abduction attempts manifested in November 13, two days after he got an invitation letter from police Zone 2 in Lagos on November 11.
He said as requested by the police, he reported at the station on November 13 at 10 am and was shown a petition accusing him of defamation. The petition was written by a lawyer on behalf of Tony Elumelu, UBA Group Chairman.
“Despite finding the petition baseless,” Farotimi explained, “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, the 21st of November 2024.”
On November 16, Sam Aiyedogbon, a pastor and friend of Farotimi whom he had earlier informed about the Lagos police invite, told him that one of the pastors in his church had been abducted by the police.
According to Farotimi, the abduction was linked to a separate petition filed against him by Afe Babalola SAN, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). The petition was directed to the Ekiti State Police Command.
He said the police interrogated John Ntekume, the abducted pastor, and forced him to write a statement along with Obiorah Ochokwu, another pastor.
“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,” Farotimi wrote.
“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 Command.”
Farotimi said given the fact he had already reported to Zone 2 in Lagos on November 13 and was scheduled to return on November 21, the “attempt by the police to lure him through such means” was puzzling.
“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 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 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.”
Farotimi said following these incidents, he had reason to believe there were policemen from Ekiti operating out of Zone 2 Police Station on a mission to kidnap him.
“Now, this leads me to ask a question: if I faithfully attended the police station as invited, why not invite me in the same manner again?
“Assuming there is even a charge, it does not take a lawyer to point out that law enforcement officers going around arresting people connected to me and intimidating them is not the proper way to carry out a lawful arrest.
“So, I have good reason to be fearful for my life, my personal liberty, and even the well-being of those around me.”
Farotimi noted that while the police failed to investigate his February 2021 public disclosure of individuals reportedly involved in a murder plot against him, the same police were trying to abduct him outside the procedure of the law.
He said the petition by Babalola might be linked to his book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System but stressed that if the man wants to seek redress regarding the claims he made against him in the book, it should be in Lagos, where the events happened, not in Ekiti where Babalola reportedly lives.
“I wrote the truth, and I stand by every single word in that book. Should anyone be aggrieved, there are clear provisions for redress,” Farotimi insisted in the statement.
“Even if one elects to pursue criminal proceedings and attempts to criminalise 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.
“Abducting me to be tried in Ekiti State is not justice but a witchhunt. 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 res 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 criminalisation, those acts occurred in Lagos State. All we have seen so far is unbridled impunity unleashed on a citizen.”
Policemen from Ekiti arrested Farotimi in his office in Lagos on Tuesday, whisked him off to Ado-Ekiti, where he was charged to court Wednesday and promptly remanded in custody until December 10 for hearing on the case.
In turn, Farotimi has taken a lawsuit in Lagos to argue his case for freedom of speech and unlawful arrest and detention.
Criminal libel has been decriminalised in Lagos, argues Femi Falana, SAN
And there is no criminal libel and defamation law in Ekiti, adds Chidi Odinkalu, professor of law.
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