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By: Daniel Kanu
Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba, Socio-cultural and political group has called for the immediate release of Dele Farotimi, legal practitioner and rights activist.
In a statement by the group, made available to Daily Sun, signed by HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Afenifere Deputy Leader and Prince Justice Faloye, Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, it condemned what it described as the illegal and crude way Farotimi was manhandled and whisked off
under the guise of interrogation for nebulous allegations by the security forces.
Afenifere called on all believers in democracy and civil rights to rise against the habitual uncivilised style of our law enforcement officers from abuse of individuals fundamental rights.
The statement reads in part” Dele Farotimi, Legal Practitioner, civil rights activist and member of Afenifere National Caucus was on 3rd November 2024 at about 11.00 am abducted and whisked away from his law office at Lekki, Lagos for undisclosed reasons by Police men of the Rapid Response Squad assaulting also other lawyers, workers and forcefully snatching their phones to prevent communications of the official terrorist attack.
“According to a statement released this evening by a Sunday Abutu identified as Ekiti State Police spokesman, members of the Ekiti police force came to Lagos to arrest Mr Dele Farotimi based on a petition of ‘defamation of character and cyberbullying’ by an undisclosed petitioner.
” Mr Dele Farotimi had issued a press release that Chief Afe Babalola was behind a plan to abduct him to Ekiti State over allegations of defamation in his book.
“It is believed that defamation is not a criminal offense that warrants such manner of arrest.
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“Afenifere condemns this act of the Nigerian Police as illegal, crude, uncivilised and most unacceptable in a country that lays claims to democratic practices.
” Afenifere hereby calls for the immediate release of Dele Farotimi or that he be taken to court immediately as he is presumed innocent of all charges, the proof of which is the burden of his accusers no matter how highly placed.
“Dele Farotimi is a known critic of government, an anti-corruption crusader in the judiciary and advocate of equity and true federalism and should not be subjected to terror under the guise of interrogation for nebulous allegations by the security forces and other agencies of government.
“There are rumors that the police and its sponsors are planning to use the instrumentality and the technicality of the law to detain and remand him in prison for 30 or more days.
“Afenifere once again implores all believers in democracy and civil rights to rise against this habitual crude and uncivilised style of our law enforcement officers which are not quite dissimilar from those of criminal gangs with no regard for the rights of citizens.”
