On Tuesday, Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer, was arrested by a group of policemen attached to the Ekiti State Police Command.
In the process of arresting Farotimi, some lawyers and other staff members working at the firm he visited were threatened and harassed. The staff reported that the policemen took all their phones away and physically assaulted one of them.
Before the incident, Farotimi had disclosed to journalists that the police were trying to abduct him. The revelation came after he got an invitation letter from the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos on November 11.
On the one hand, Farotimi heard he was accused of defamation by a lawyer to Tony Elumelu, the chairman of UBA Group.
On the other hand, Farotimi’s Tuesday arrest was later traced to a petition from Afe Babalola, a notable lawyer, accusing Farotimi of defamation.
Babalola was said to have petitioned the police based on how he was characterised in Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, a book written and published by Farotimi.
The Ekiti State Police Command would later confirm that Farotimi was being investigated for defamation and cyberbullying.
The conduct of the police has since led to widespread criticism and condemnation by Nigerians, with many lawyers making it clear that what Farotimi was being accused of was not a criminal offence.
They also expressed their shock that Babaloba, a seasoned legal practitioner, could be linked to “such an unlawful arrest”.
Farotimi was remanded in an Ekiti State prison on Wednesday, pending a hearing on December 10.
Interestingly, Babalola, who initiated the petition, had once criticised the Department of State Services (DSS) for the indiscriminate arrest of judges in 2016 and their disregard for due process.
ARREST OF JUDGES BY THE DSS
Between October 7 and 8, 2016, gun-wielding DSS operatives stormed the residences of senior judges, breaking doors and threatening to harm their family members and aides.
The raids were carried out by the operatives in Abuja, Rivers and Gombe state and in the end, Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro of the Supreme Court and Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja were arrested.
All three judges were arrested for “corruption.”
In a swift response, Babalola slammed the DSS over the arrest of the judges.
He said if the judges were found to have done something offensive, the normal thing to do was to report them to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for disciplinary action.
“Why did you then decide to harass their families? The DSS has no right to take over the responsibility of the police,” said Babalola.
“If people have evidence against judges, they should report to the NJC. How can you arrest a sitting judge and take him before a magistrate to try him?
“There is nowhere in the world you try a sitting judge. You don’t take a sitting judge to court; even the law stipulates that no court process can be served after 7 pm.
“When the judges are sacked, you take them to court for prosecution. We are not opposed to the fight against corruption, but that due process must be followed.”
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
