Dele Files Suit at Lagos Court Challenging His Abduction Over Alleged Defamation of Afe Babalola

Human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has filed a suit at the Lagos State High Court contesting his abduction and detention by operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command.

Farotimi’s counsel, Ralph Nwoke, disclosed the development to reporters while detailing the police invasion of Farotimi’s office on Tuesday.

According to Nwoke, officers forcibly entered Farotimi’s office, confiscated phones and devices from staff members, and threatened to shoot anyone who questioned their actions.

The lawyer was abducted and driven to Ekiti State in connection with a defamation case over his recent book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, in which he reportedly made remarks critical of Afe Babalola.

On Wednesday, Farotimi was arraigned at a Magistrates’ Court in Ado-Ekiti on 16 charges.

The presiding magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, denied his bail application and ordered his remand at a correctional centre until December 10, pending further hearings. Farotimi pleaded “not guilty” to all charges.

His legal team has filed a fundamental human rights application at the Lagos State High Court, challenging the legality of his abduction and detention.

Nwoke emphasised their commitment to obtaining clarity on the incident, which he described as a blatant violation of his client’s rights.

According to reports, Afe Babalola is requesting all existing hard copies of Dele Farotimi’s book to be recovered by the Police and confiscated.

A check on the webpage to order the book also shows the website has been suspended.

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