Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has condemned the alleged abduction of legal practitioner and civil rights activist, Dele Farotimi, from his Lagos office by operatives of the Nigerian police.
The group, in a statement on Monday signed by its Deputy Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and National Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, described the incident as unacceptable in a democratic society.
SYMFONI NEWS reported that Farotimi, a prominent member of Afenifere’s National Caucus was reportedly whisked away by police officers.
According to the group, the spokesperson of the Ekiti State Police, Sunday Abutu, stated that the arrest was based on a petition accusing Farotimi of defamatory comments against Chief Afe Babalola, SAN which was reportedly contained in his recent book.
Afenifere, however, described the allegations as insufficient to justify the “Gestapo-style arrest,” emphasizing that defamation is not a criminal offense.
“Afenifere condemns this act of the Nigerian Police as illegal, crude, uncivilised and most unacceptable in a country that lays claims to democratic practices. Afenifere hereby calls for the immediate release of Dele Farotimi or that he be taken to court immediately as he is presumed innocent of all charges, the proof of which is the burden of his accusers no matter how highly placed.
“Dele Farotimi is a known critic of government, an anti-corruption crusader in the judiciary and advocate of equity and true federalism and should not be subjected to terror under the guise of interrogation for nebulous allegations by the security forces and other agencies of government. There are rumors that there is a plan to take him to magistrate court on the 4th December 2024 and use Form A to lock him up for 30 days till next year.
“Afenifere once again implores all believers in democracy and civil rights to rise against this habitual crude and uncivilised style of our law enforcement officers which are not quite dissimilar from those of criminal gangs with no regard for the rights of citizens.
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