Activists are increasingly defiant against the police’s efforts to halt protests over the continued detention of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
Despite claims from the Ekiti State Police Command that banning the protest was necessary to ensure public safety, activists have announced plans to demonstrate on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, and are prepared to extend the protests to Lagos, Abuja, and even the United Kingdom.
The protests stem from the arrest of Farotimi by Ekiti police following a defamation complaint lodged by prominent lawyer Chief Afe Babalola, SAN.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has expressed outrage over the arrest, noting that defamation as a criminal offense was decriminalized in Lagos State under the Criminal Law of 2011 and was further nullified by the Supreme Court in the 2021 case Aviomoh v. Commissioner of Police.
Farotimi’s arrest relates to allegations he made in his book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, where he accused Babalola of manipulating the Supreme Court to secure fraudulent judgments for his clients.
The arrest has sparked widespread condemnation from activists and civil society groups.
In response to the ongoing detention, Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 elections, has led the charge for protests, with demonstrations scheduled in multiple cities.
Sowore and other rights activists in London have vowed to hold a global protest on December 10, coinciding with a court hearing for Farotimi’s bail application.
Despite a warning from the Police Public Relations Officer of Ekiti State, DSP Sunday Abutu, who raised concerns about potential violence, Sowore and his supporters remain undeterred.
Abutu’s statement cited intelligence reports that suggested some individuals might use the protest to cause unrest.
Nonetheless, Sowore has urged Nigerians to participate in the protest to demand Farotimi’s release.
Sowore, through his X (formerly Twitter) account, shared the details of the planned protests: in Abuja, the point of convergence will be the Ministry of Justice and the Federal High Court; in Ekiti, protesters will gather at the Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti; in Lagos, the protest will meet at Afe Babalola Chambers in Magodo; and in the UK, activists will assemble at King’s College London.
Sowore emphasized, “The @PoliceNG can’t ban protests anywhere; we are getting loads of Nigerian citizens to shut down Ado-Ekiti on December 10, 2024, from 7 am. Buses are ready for those coming from out of state.”
The protest will demand the release of Farotimi under the hashtag #FreeDeleFarotimiNow, signaling a global movement against what they call an unjust judicial system in Nigeria.
