Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, has been identified as the influential Nigerian behind the arrest, brutalization, and detention of human rights activist Dele Farotimi by the police on Tuesday over allegations of defamation.
Mr. Babalola reportedly instructed the Nigerian police to arrest Mr. Farotimi and transport him by road to Ekiti—a 334-kilometre journey that took over five hours. This action comes over a year after the senior lawyer donated millions of British pounds to support human rights and education for African students at King’s College, London.
Afe Babalola is a prominent figure in Ekiti State, wielding significant influence. He owns a university in the state capital, employs thousands of people, and has been honored by the state government, which declared October 19 as Afe Babalola Day.
The activist had earlier accused UBA CEO Tony Elumelu and Mr. Babalola of using the police to harass and monitor his movements.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Farotimi alleged that the police previously abducted his church pastor, John Ntekume, in an attempt to lure him to the church for arrest. He stated that the plan failed until his eventual disappearance on Tuesday.
“The police showed them a petition written by Chief Afe Babalola in Ekiti State, addressed to the Ekiti State Police Command, requesting that I be lured to the church to facilitate my arrest,” Mr. 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.”
AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore claimed that the police seized the mobile devices of witnesses at the scene to prevent their actions from being recorded as they brutalized and arrested the activist.
“I have just spoken to the family of @DeleFarotimi, and they stated his whereabouts are unknown to them since a contingent of @PoliceNG officers raided his home and abducted him earlier today from Lagos after seizing mobile devices of everyone present,” Mr Sowore posted on X Tuesday.
The secretive manner of Mr. Farotimi’s arrest starkly contrasts with the public image Mr. Babalola has carefully cultivated over the years, especially given that defamation is a civil matter that should be addressed in court, not through a dramatic arrest and detention.
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As a senior lawyer, Mr. Babalola is well-versed in the Nigerian constitution and fully aware of the legal framework surrounding such issues.
His involvement in orchestrating Mr. Farotimi’s arrest and transfer from Lagos to Ekiti—his home state, where he wields significant influence—has raised concerns about the activist’s chances of receiving fair treatment.
Lagos police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin has yet to comment on the circumstances of Mr. Farotimi’s arrest, including allegations that officers confiscated witnesses’ phones before detaining the activist.
Similarly, King’s College London has not responded to inquiries about whether the actions of their prominent donor align with the institution’s values.
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