A human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi has been arrested by the Nigerian police at Zone 2 in Lagos following a petition filed by business mogul, Mr. Tony Elumelu, chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group.
According to media reports, the petition accuses Farotimi of defaming Elumelu through his public statements.
Farotimi’s arrest was disclosed by Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters on his official X handle on Tuesday.
“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,” Sowore said.
Before now, Farotimi had raised concerns about alleged threats to his life, claiming they originated from certain Nigerian elites in collusion with security agencies and some legal professionals.
In a statement he signed and titled, “They Want to Silence Me”, Farotimi recounted how, on November 11, he was informed that an invitation letter from the Zone 2 Police Command had been delivered to his office.
The letter requested that he report to the station on November 13 at 10am.
Accompanied by his legal counsel, Farotimi arrived at the station at 9:45am on the specified date, where he was presented with a petition drafted by a lawyer on behalf of Mr. Tony Elumelu, accusing him of defamation.
