On Tuesday, the Police Service Commission (PSC) approved the promotion of Akinwale Kunle Adeniran, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, along with 10 others, to the position of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
Notably, the December 2 arrest of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, which the Nigerian Bar Association condemned as “illegal,” occurred under Akinwale’s leadership.
Earlier, on July 2, Farotimi published a book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. A few months after the 116-page book’s release, Afe Babalola, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s legal community, accused Farotimi of defamation.
The human rights lawyer was later arrested in a Gestapo-like manner at his Lagos office by a team of policemen from the Ekiti State Police Command and taken to Ekiti.
In addition to the defamation charges initially filed against Farotimi at an Ekiti State Magistrate Court by Babalola’s team, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, filed 12 more charges against him at the Federal High Court in Ekiti on December 6.
READ MORE:Elon Musk Reclaims Title of World’s Richest Person
An Abuja High Court also issued an order directing multiple security agencies across the country to seize physical copies of Farotimi’s book from all bookstands and stores nationwide.
The court also issued a temporary order restraining Farotimi from “publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing physical, digital, or electronic copies of the book through any means, whether online or offline.”
Farotimi’s trial sparked criticism from Nigerians, with many calling for protests against what they described as an “unlawful arrest.”
However, while defending the controversial nature of Farotimi’s arrest, Akinwale stated that the alleged offences included “defamation of character, cyberstalking, and other related issues,” claiming that the allegations had been “fully established.”
Follow Parallel Facts on WhatsApp Channel:https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
