Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer and activist, was arrested in Lagos State on Tuesday.
According to information obtained by FIJ, Farotimi was detained by police officers at Zone 2 in Lagos.
Prior to his arrest, he had raised alarms about an alleged plot by policemen from the Ekiti State Police Command to abduct him.
This incident occurred more than three years after Farotimi had expressed concerns about threats to his life, including potential assassination attempts.
In a statement released to FIJ on Monday and shared on X by Farotimi on Tuesday, he revealed that attempts to abduct him began in November.
This came shortly after he received an invitation letter from the Zone 2 Police Command on November 11.
Farotimi said he was instructed to report to the police station on November 13 at 10 a.m. Upon his arrival, officers presented a petition accusing him of defamation.
The petition, he stated, was filed by a lawyer representing Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the UBA Group.
“Despite finding the petition baseless, 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,” Farotimi stated.
On November 16, Sam Aiyedogbon, a pastor and friend of Farotimi, who had earlier been informed about the Lagos police summons, informed Farotimi that one of the pastors from his church had been abducted by the police.
Farotimi claimed the abduction was connected to a separate petition filed against him by Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD).
The petition was reportedly addressed to the Ekiti State Police Command.
He stated that the police interrogated the abducted pastor, John Ntekume, and coerced him, along with another pastor, Obiorah Ochokwu, into writing statements.
“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.”
The lawyer stated that, considering he had already reported to Zone 2 in Lagos on November 13 and was due to return on November 21, the police’s “attempt to lure him through such means” was baffling.
“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. I honoured the invitation on the 21st of November 2024 again in the company of my counsel and was permitted to leave,” Farotimi explained.
“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.”
Following these events, Farotimi said he had reasons to believe that there were policemen from Ekiti operating out of Zone 2 Police Station on a mission to abduct 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,” he stated.
Farotimi pointed out that although the police failed to investigate his public disclosure in February 2021 regarding individuals allegedly involved in a murder plot against him, the same security force was attempting to abduct him outside the bounds of the law.
He also hinted that the petition by Babalola may be linked to his book, “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System“. He stated that should the ABUAD founder want to seek redress regarding the claims he made against him in the book, it should be in Lagos, where the events happened, not Ekiti.
The part of Farotimi’s statement that addresses this reads: “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 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 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 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.”
(FIJ)
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