Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has announced plans to sue those responsible for his arrest and detention in the now-discontinued defamation case involving prominent legal figure Afe Babalola (SAN).
Farotimi was arrested by police in Lagos in December and taken to Ekiti, where he faced charges of defaming Babalola in his book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
Following his arraignment, an Ekiti Magistrate Court ordered that he be remanded for 21 days. The legal battle continued for several weeks before Babalola withdrew the case, effectively ending the proceedings.
Despite this, Farotimi has stated that the matter is far from over. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he made clear his intention to seek justice through the courts.
“Let me continue to reassert that I was always at peace. But when it comes to demanding an account of those who have perverted the powers of the state in pursuit of a private cause, you can be certain of one thing: some people will account for my incarceration, but that is not a matter for banter. That is something for the courts to decide,” he said.
“So even though the criminal suit has been withdrawn, the civil suits are there, and what I would like to do in response to my incarceration is another ball game entirely, but you can take it to the bank: I will certainly be demanding an account from those who sent me to prison,” he added.
When asked who he intends to take to court, Farotimi explained, “My lawyers will decide who is responsible, and they will then proceed to the court. Whether it’s the police that have to be sued, whether it’s the magistrate who sent me to prison, whether it’s the persons who wrote the petition, whether it’s whoever, but somebody would explain.”
Babalola dropped the charges after appeals from traditional rulers in the South-West. Several notable Nigerians, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Bishop Matthew Kukah, also reportedly reached out to him over the issue.
According to Babalola, their interventions influenced his decision to discontinue the legal proceedings.
However, Farotimi maintains that he did not solicit any form of intervention and was not consulted before any of the visits or appeals were made to Babalola.
What you should know
Dele Farotimi is not letting go of the ordeal surrounding his arrest, despite the withdrawal of the defamation case. He insists that those who, in his view, misused state power must be held accountable and plans to pursue civil action in court.
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