Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has joined a growing number of Nigerians in condemning the detention of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi.
Farotimi is being remanded in an Ekiti prison over allegations of defaming the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Afe Babalola.
Farotimi’s legal ordeal began with his arrest in Lagos and subsequent transfer to Ekiti, where he was arraigned before a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun, denied his bail application and postponed its decision to December 20.
The court’s fresh order starkly contradicts an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, which had granted Farotimi bail earlier this week.
The charges against Farotimi stem from allegations in his book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, where he accused Afe Babalola of compromising the Supreme Court.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, filed the suit against him, citing alleged cybercrime.
Reacting to the situation, Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticised Farotimi’s detention.
In a statement on his X account today, Atiku stated that Farotimi’s imprisonment is not based on any proven crime but rather his unyielding commitment to speaking truth to power.
“Farotimi languishes in prison custody not for any crime but for the supposed ‘crime’ of persistently exposing truths the government and its collaborators would rather keep hidden,” Atiku stated.
He described the incident as a stark reflection of the growing climate of impunity and the blatant violation of citizens’ rights in Nigeria.
He said: “His only offense lies in his unflinching commitment to exposing the truths that the government and its collaborators would rather remain hidden.
“More troubling still is the fact that he is detained and prosecuted under the guise of a law that does not even exist in Ekiti State.’
Atiku described the weaponization of the cyberbullying law as particularly alarming, emphasising how it has been repurposed into a tool for harassing, intimidating, and silencing dissenting voices within the opposition and the press.
“On this solemn occasion of International Human Rights Day, let us take a moment to remind our leaders at every level of government to honour the oaths they have sworn to protect and uphold the constitutionally enshrined rights of the people. Only through this commitment can we hope to nurture and strengthen our democracy.”
