Human Rights Lawyer Dele Farotimi Arrested for Alleged Defamation

Nigerian police have arrested human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi on defamation charges, sparking concerns about freedom of speech and the targeting of activists.

Dele Farotimi, a prominent human rights lawyer, has been arrested by the Nigerian Police Force due to defamation allegations made by Tony Elumelu, CEO of the United Bank for Africa (UBA).

The news of Farotimi's arrest was broken by Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, who posted about it on his X account on Tuesday. Sowore revealed that Elumelu had filed a petition accusing Farotimi of defamation, which led to the lawyer's arrest.

Sowore has condemned the arrest, calling for Farotimi's immediate release and emphasizing that the police should not be used to settle personal disputes. This development has sparked widespread debate among legal and activist communities, with many questioning whether the matter should have been handled through civil litigation instead of criminal proceedings.

Sowore wrote, “I just learned that Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Nigerian Police over a petition by Tony Elumelu of UBA Group alleging Dele defamed him.

“It is pertinent that the Nigerian police are notified that the institution cannot continue to be used to settle personal scores, and we, the citizens of Nigeria, would no longer tolerate such a situation.

“Therefore, the police at Zone 2 in Lagos are advised to release Barrister Dele Farotimi immediately.”