Odinkalu says Dele Farotimi held hostage, “not going through a legal trial”
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Chidi Odinkalu, a professor of law who once chaired the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has noted that human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi is being held hostage through judicial and legal terrorism by him getting remanded in prison in Ekiti over a non-existent law.
Farotimi is being tried in court for alleged criminal defamation of Afe Babalolo, SAN in his recent book Nigeria And Its Criminal Justice System and is appearing in a Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti today for hearing on his bail application.
Odinkalu, in a conversation hosted by another activist Omoyele Sowore on X Space, said Farotimi is not going through a legal trial because his situation is a “hostage-taking” scenario where the excuse of legality is being used to perpetuate injustice.”
There is no criminal defamation law in Lagos where Farotimi allegedly committed the offence nor in Ekiti where Babalola lives.
“We have to end that, to end it let us train our thoughts on the judiciary and the law, all the other details can follow up. There are so many Nigerians and Dele is one of those who are hostages of the law,” Odinkalu argued.
“Dele is not going through a legal trial; he is going through judicial terrorism and legal terrorism. This is hostage-taking using excuse of legality.
“We are going to make that case rigorously and vigorously across the board on behalf of Nigerians who are going through it at the moment.”
Babalola petitioned the Ekiti Police Command over his alleged defamation, which led police officers from the state to arrest Farotimi in Lagos on December 3.
He was arraigned at a Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti on December 4, which remanded that day, and he has been in custody ever since.
Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun filed additional charges against Farotimi and charged him to a High Court in Ado-Ekiti, which granted him a N50 million bail.
But the Magistrate’s Court, a lower court which jurisdiction is limited to state matters and has no jurisdiction over criminal cases, later postponed hearing till December 20 on Farotimi’s bail application and remanded him in custody till the adjourned date today.
Farotimi has also been charged to court in neighbouring Oyo and in far away Abuja over the same allegation.
Read also:
Afenifere joins calls for police to stop prosecuting Farotimi on non-existent law