Activist Deji Adeyanju urged the police on Friday to stop acting as errand boys for influential individuals and politicians in Nigeria.
Adeyanju criticized the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, for orchestrating the arrest of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi over alleged defamation.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Adeyanju condemned Babalola for leveraging the police to intimidate a fellow lawyer.
He argued that Babalola should have pursued civil remedies against Farotimi instead of using law enforcement and the courts to harass him.
According to Adeyanju, “Dele Farotimi, a lawyer and activist was arrested in his office in Lagos on the instructions of the Nigeria Police after our revered father and leader in the legal profession had petitioned that Dele Farotimi had defamed him in his book.
“It’s unfortunate that our revered father and leader in the legal profession would resort to using the police to harass, intimidate, and arrest a fellow lawyer; someone who is speaking up against the bills in the society.
“If Babalola felt defamed, the original thing that one would have expected him to do was to have used civil remedies to sue Dele Farotimi.
“When people who have condemned the use of institutional power in the past like Baba now resort to doing the same is most unfortunate.
“We call on critical stakeholders in the police, that the police must stop acting as errand boys to big men, influential people, and politicians.
“This also points to the fact that one of our clients, Speed Darlington has been in custody now for over a week for allegedly defaming and insulting Burna Boy. Things like these are clear abuse of power and office, simpliciter.
“The whole world has moved away from criminal defamation, these are colonial laws and Nigeria must move away. The idea of abducting Dele Farotimi from Lagos and taking him to the turf of Baba Afe in Ekiti is suspicious.
“Why was Farotimi not arranged in Lagos where he resides and does business? Why was the raid on his office so violent?”
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